This was the case of Prussia, a former duchy that in the early 1700s emerged from the shadow of Poland and the Holy Roman Empire. Growing to encompass much of northern and central Europe ...

Prussia's development as a successful, modern industrial state gave hope to German nationalists. Economically, unification through the Zollverein economic alliance of 1834 had been a success ...

But they repeatedly reversed these decisions. Apart from Austria, Prussia was the strongest German state. It was the only state that showed any real ability to unite Germany. It was clear that ...