The Founding of the German Empire

After the peace treaty with France was signed, there was no longer any external interference in Germany's unification.

However, turning the Kingdom of Prussia into the German Empire would not be easy, because many states, including Bavaria, feared for their own independence after the unification of Germany.

The new empire was destined not to be as loose as the Holy Roman Empire. If Bavaria were to lose its independence because of Germany's unification, that would be rather difficult for Bavaria's King Ludwig II to accept.

After all, although a Bavarian king with no power and a Bavarian king who currently held real authority bore the same rank of title, their influence across the entire German Region was worlds apart.

Prussia itself was not peaceful at this time.

Many nobles, including Prussian King William I,

were not particularly enthusiastic about the founding of the new empire.

After the empire was founded, the Kingdom of Prussia, once their source of pride, would become merely a part of the empire. The House of Hohenzollern, now the imperial family, might also abandon its old tradition of extreme thrift and frugality, imitate those extravagant European monarchs, and embark upon a path of lavish wastefulness.

Such concerns were not groundless.

Though both emperor and king were independent rulers, being King of Prussia and being Emperor of Germany were entirely different things.

Becoming Emperor of Germany meant that the great task of unifying the German Region had been completed, and that one had become one of Europe's only three emperors.

The newly founded German Empire was bound to become an even more powerful Great Power. Its overall national strength would far surpass that of its longtime enemy, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and reach the level of Britain and France.

Having achieved so much, it was difficult to guarantee that the members of the House of Hohenzollern would not become smug with pride, would not relax after remaining taut for so long, and begin enjoying the imperial family's extravagant life.

But where there were opponents, there were supporters. In particular, there was William I's son, Crown Prince of Prussia Frederick William Nicholas Charles. (William II's father.)

This crown prince, born in 1831, was now nearly forty years old.

In Europe, where the average lifespan was only thirty or forty years, Crown Prince Frederick was already considered middle-aged to elderly.

Though there was no hope of succession in the short term, being able to gain a higher title through the empire's founding was also something Crown Prince Frederick wished to see.

After all, who would be willing to spend an entire lifetime as merely a crown prince? With William I being so extraordinarily long-lived, Crown Prince Frederick could only elevate his title through the founding of the empire.

Just how long-lived was William I? Born in 1797, William I did not die until 1888 in history, living to the age of ninety-one.

That was extremely rare in 19th century Europe, and would count as longevity even in the 21st century more than a hundred years later.

As William I's son, Crown Prince Frederick's fate was rather tragic.

The historical Crown Prince Frederick did not ascend the throne until 1888. Because he suffered from throat cancer, he died after reigning for only ninety-nine days, earning him the mocking title of the Hundred Days Emperor.

He waited from 1831 to 1888, a full fifty-seven years. Fifty-seven years of waiting in exchange for ninety-nine days upon the imperial throne—Frederick was absolutely deserving of the title of the 19th century's most tragic crown prince.

Of course, Crown Prince Frederick had not yet been diagnosed with throat cancer and was still in relatively good health.

With Crown Prince Frederick arguing his case on solid grounds, William I ultimately agreed to the founding of the new empire.

However, William I also set a condition: he would only do so if the other monarchs of Germany proposed that William I become emperor.

If Parliament asked William I to become emperor before the other monarchs did, William I would refuse Parliament's proposal.

The reason was simple. If the proposal to establish the empire came from the monarchs of Germany's other states, it could at least prove that the German Empire was recognized by all the states and had the people's support.

But if Prussia's own Parliament proposed founding the empire, it would inevitably seem like self-amusement, and William I's legitimacy would be somewhat unstable from the very beginning.

Among Germany's many states, the one most qualified to request William I's coronation as emperor was the Kingdom of Bavaria, Southern Germany's largest state.

To hasten the empire's founding, Bismarck wrote a letter to Bavaria's King Ludwig II, asking Ludwig II to take the initiative and propose that William I be crowned Emperor of Germany.

Bismarck had long since agreed that Bavaria would enjoy a certain degree of independence within the German Empire, and that the Bavarian king would retain command over the Bavarian army during peacetime.

The Bavarian government would also have a voice in foreign affairs, enjoy privileges in fiscal matters, and would not need to follow Prussian military regulations.

It could retain its own special laws regarding marriage and citizenship, as well as its own postal and telegraph services.

This already counted as an enormous concession to Bavaria. Having obtained so many benefits and guarantees, Ludwig II naturally would not oppose William I's coronation.

And so, at Ludwig II's public request, William I formally agreed to establish the German Empire and be crowned Emperor of Germany.

The site chosen for the empire's founding was France's Palace of Versailles. Being crowned emperor in France carried unique significance for all Prussians.

Prussia, the empire's predecessor, had defeated France, once the hegemon of Europe. This also symbolized Bismarck and William I's hopes for the newborn German Empire: that it would replace France as Europe's new hegemon.

In May 1870, beneath the hateful stares of the french people, the complicated gazes of France's Government of National Defense, the burning attention of the Junker nobility, and the fanatical cries of the Prussian army, Prussian King William I was formally crowned Emperor of Germany, taking the name William I.

The coronation ceremony was not complicated, and only nobles from Prussia and several German states took part.

To prevent the other Great Powers from interfering with the outcome of the Franco-Prussian War, Bismarck and William I barely invited Europe's Great Powers at all, merely announcing the founding of the German Empire after the coronation ceremony ended.

Within Germany, Germans naturally erupted in cheers.

But within France, the feelings of the once-proud french people were far from pleasant.

Germany had been founded with its foot planted upon the french people's heads. For as long as the German Empire existed, it would bring the french people endless humiliation.

The founding of the German Empire clearly deepened the hatred between Germans and the french people. The struggle for supremacy between the two strongest land powers on the European continent would affect the situation across all of Europe, including Spain to France's south.

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