Austro-Prussian War Summary

THE AUSTRO-PRUSSIAN WAR OF 1866

I. BISMARCK'S PLAN TO UNIFY GERMANY: "LET'S BAIT AUSTRIA INTO STARTING A WAR!"

In 1866 Germany was divided into several dozen mini-states, of which Prussia was the largest. Prussia's Chancellor Otto von Bismarck (1862­ 1890) sought to unify Germany under Prussian leadership. Main reason: Prussia was geographically not contiguous and had long borders. This left it insecure. A united Germany would have better borders and more resources, and so be more secure. Toward the goal of dominating Germany Bismarck sought to remove Austrian influence in southern Germany by war. He saw two prerequisites for this campaign: (1) France, Britain and Russia had to be induced to stay neutral while Prussia beat Austria; and (2) the Prussian king had to be induced, against his sentiments, to declare war on his brother-German Austrians. Bismarck's solution: Prussia would sweet- talk the other European powers into not fearing Prussia, and would bait Austria into starting the war. If Austria starts war it will alienate the other powers and thus be easy pickings; and the Prussian king will be outraged at Austria and declare war on it. 

II. BACKGROUND TO WAR: EVENTS AND CONDITIONS

1. Bismarck's deceptions. 
   1. Deceptions regarding Prussian capability: "We're weak!"
      
   2. Spin regarding Prussian intentions: "We're benign!" Bismarck 
      sent the Schweinitz mission to Russia to proclaim that Prussia had limited aims.
      > Note: Prussian intentions were in fact limited. After 
      defeating France in 1871 Bismarck proclaimed Germany "sated." But after 1890 Germany's appetite grew vastly. It turned out Bismarck could not speak for his successors. 
2. British, French, and Russian were indifferent to containing Prussia, in part due to Bismarck's deceptions. 
   1. Britain feared France more than Prussia, and was generally 
      isolationist. 
   2. France saw advantage in what it thought would be a long 
      fratricidal Prussian-Austrian war. It thought: "We can demand the Rhineland as our fee for breaking the stalemate for the victor." 
   3. Russia felt solidarity with Prussia against the Poles, whom they both cruelly oppressed and who hated them both. Russia also was distracted from central European affairs by its focus on undoing the demilitarization of the Black Sea, imposed by Britain on Russia in the peace that ended the Crimean War in 1856.
      
3. Prussia signed a 3-month offensive alliance with Italy, April 8, 1866. Terms include giving Italy parts of southern Austria.
   
4. Austria mobilized its army, April 21, 1866--a fateful step. Why did Austria take it? 
   1. Austria received false reports that Italy was mobilizing, and mobilized very quickly in response. Where did these false reports come from? Maybe the Austrian military deceived its civilians; or perhaps Bismarck deceived Austria. Alois Karoly, Austrian minister in Berlin, believed Bismarck was the source of the falsehood.
      
   2. Why did Austria mobilize against Prussia as well as Italy? 
      1. Austrian leaders assumed Prussia had already decided for 
         war. They didn't realize that Prussia couldn't start a war 
         if Austria didn't move first. 
      2. Austria had only one mobilization plan. It posited a 2­ 
         front mobilization. 
   3. Results: Prussia's king was outraged, opted for war against 
      Austria; and Britain, France and Russia stood aside indifferently. The table is set for Prussian victory

Major Battles

• 24 June, Battle of Custoza: Austrian army defeats Italian army;
• 27 June, Battle of Trautenau (Trutnov): Austrians check Prussian advance but with heavy losses
• 27 June, Battle of Langensalza: Hanover's army defeats Prussia's;
• 29 June, Battle of Gitschin (Jičín): Prussians defeat Austrians
• 3 July, Battle of Königgrätz (Sadová): decisive Prussian victory against Austrians;
• 20 July, Battle of Lissa (Vis): the Austrian fleet decisively defeats the Italian one;
• 21 July, Battle of Bezzecca: Giuseppe Garibaldi's "Hunters of the Alps" defeat an Austrian army.
• 22 July (last day of the war), Battle of Lamacs (Lamač): Austrians defend Bratislava against Prussian army.

After the Austro Prussian War of 1866, many Middle-German states, Hanover, Hesse-Cassel, Nassau, The Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein and Lauenburg and the Free City of Frankfurt, traditional allies of Austria, were annexed by Prussia. The north of Germany was now completely dominated by Prussia. As Austria's traditional ambitions in Germany were now finally defeated, the German Confederation under its leadership was discontinued. Instead the Prussians erected a North-German Confederation including Prussia and the remaining smaller states there.