The Great Power Stage

The German Wars of Unification saw the powerful
Prussian military
cow the French and Austrians. The Austrian defeat
ended in Prussia''s
ascension to the throne of Germany while Austria
itself was
essentially removed from the new union. Less than
fifty years later,
Germany would back its former foe Austria, handing
them the
notorious ''blank check'' representing Germany s full
military support
for the crisis that would become World War I.
Austria wasn t the only power to suffer from a
unified Germany,
however; France s humiliating terms after their
defeat included a
German policy for isolation. Whereas Austria was able
to transition
from rival to ally, France was pushed into the
opposition camp,
moving from a nominal diplomatic power to becoming
the unifying
force of a military front. Meanwhile, European power
politics forced
the hand of Austria when the pecking order of nations
questioned
their status, leaving Germany with a precarious alliance.
From rivals struggling for control of the heart of
continental Europe
to allies committed to a global war, this book
follows the relations
between the two nations and the unique circumstances
that forged
the blank check.

Autorentext
Charles Shipp graduated from Reed College in Portland, Oregon with a B.A. in History with a focus on European political history.

Klappentext
The German Wars of Unification saw the powerful Prussian military cow the French and Austrians. The Austrian defeat ended in Prussia's ascension to the throne of Germany while Austria itself was essentially removed from the new union. Less than fifty years later, Germany would back its former foe Austria, handing them the notorious 'blank check' representing Germany's full military support for the crisis that would become World War I. Austria wasn't the only power to suffer from a unified Germany, however; France's humiliating terms after their defeat included a German policy for isolation. Whereas Austria was able to transition from rival to ally, France was pushed into the opposition camp, moving from a nominal diplomatic power to becoming the unifying force of a military front. Meanwhile, European power politics forced the hand of Austria when the pecking order of nations questioned their status, leaving Germany with a precarious alliance. From rivals struggling for control of the heart of continental Europe to allies committed to a global war, this book follows the relations between the two nations and the unique circumstances that forged the blank check.