The Founding of the German Empire

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

However, transforming the Kingdom of Prussia into the German Empire was no easy task, as many states, including Bavaria, worried about losing their independence after unification.

The new empire was destined not to be as loose as the Holy Roman Empire. If German unification meant Bavaria lost its autonomy, that would be hard for King Ludwig II of Bavaria to accept.

After all, a Bavarian king with no real power and one with actual authority might share the same title, but their influence across the German region would be worlds apart.

Within Prussia itself, things were far from settled.

Many nobles, including King William I of Prussia, were not particularly enthusiastic about the establishment of the new empire.

Once the empire was formed, the Kingdom of Prussia—which they had once taken such pride in—would become just a part of it. The House of Hohenzollern, now the imperial family, might also abandon their old traditions of extreme frugality and follow the lavish, wasteful ways of other European monarchs.

Such concerns were not unfounded.

Although both a king and an emperor were independent rulers, being the King of Prussia was entirely different from being the German Emperor.

Becoming the German Emperor meant completing the great task of unifying the German lands and becoming one of only three emperors in Europe.

The newly formed German Empire would inevitably become a far stronger great power, its overall national strength far surpassing that of its long-time rival, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and reaching the level of Britain and France.

Achieving such a feat made it hard to guarantee that the House of Hohenzollern wouldn't grow complacent, loosen their long-held discipline, and start indulging in the extravagant life of royalty.

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

Born in 1831, the Crown Prince was now nearly forty years old.

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

Though he had no immediate hope of succession, if the empire's establishment could grant him a higher title, that was something Crown Prince Frederick would gladly welcome.

After all, who would be content to remain a mere crown prince for life? With William I being so long-lived, Crown Prince Frederick could only rely on the empire's founding to elevate his own status.

Just how long-lived was William I? Born in 1797, he lived until 1888, reaching the age of 91.

This was extremely rare in 19th-century Europe, and even in the 21st century, over a hundred years later, it would still be considered a long life.

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

Historically, Crown Prince Frederick did not ascend the throne until 1888. Due to throat cancer, he reigned for only 99 days before dying, earning him the nickname the "Hundred Days Emperor."

He waited from 1831 to 1888—a total of 57 years. Fifty-seven years of waiting for just 99 days on the imperial throne. Crown Prince Frederick was undoubtedly the most tragic crown prince of the 19th century.

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

Thanks to Crown Prince Frederick's persistent arguments, William I finally agreed to the establishment of the new empire.

But William I also set a condition: he would only accept the imperial title if it was proposed by other German monarchs.

If the Reichstag demanded he become emperor before the other monarchs did, William I would reject the proposal.

The reason was simple. If the other German state rulers proposed the empire's founding, it would prove that the German Empire was recognized by all the states and had popular support.

But if it was only Prussia's own Reichstag pushing for the empire, it would seem somewhat self-indulgent and would make William I's legitimacy shaky from the start.

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

To speed up the empire's establishment, Bismarck wrote a letter to King Ludwig II of Bavaria, asking him to take the initiative in proposing that William I be crowned German Emperor.

By this time, Bismarck had already agreed that Bavaria would retain a degree of independence within the German Empire, and that the Bavarian king would still command the Bavarian army during peacetime.

The Bavarian government would also have a say in foreign affairs, enjoy financial privileges, and would not have to follow Prussian military regulations.

In matters of marriage and citizenship, Bavaria could keep its own laws, and it could also maintain its own postal and telegraph services.

This was already a huge concession to Bavaria. Having secured so many benefits and guarantees, Ludwig II naturally had no reason to oppose William I's coronation.

Thus, following Ludwig II's public request, William I formally agreed to establish the German Empire and be crowned German Emperor.

The location chosen for the empire's founding was the Palace of Versailles in France. Proclaiming the empire on French soil held unique significance for all Prussians.

The empire's predecessor, Prussia, had defeated France, the former hegemon of Europe. This symbolized Bismarck and William I's great hope for the newborn German Empire: to replace France as the new hegemon of Europe.

In May 1870, under the hateful gaze of the French people, the complex eyes of the French Government of National Defense, the fervent stares of the Junker nobility, and the wild cheers of the Prussian army, King William I of Prussia was formally crowned German Emperor, taking the title William I.

The coronation ceremony was not elaborate, and the only participants were nobles from Prussia and a few German states.

To prevent other great powers from interfering in the outcome of the Franco-Prussian War, Bismarck and William I barely invited any European powers. They simply announced the establishment of the German Empire after the ceremony ended.

Within Germany, the people naturally erupted in cheers.

But in France, for the once-proud French people, the feeling was far from pleasant.

Germany had been built on the backs of the French. As long as the German Empire existed, it would bring endless humiliation to the French.

The founding of the German Empire clearly deepened the hatred between the Germans and the French. The rivalry between the two most powerful land-based nations on the European continent would affect the entire European situation, including Spain to the south of France.

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