Author Dennis Showalter presents students, academics, and researchers with the second edition of his examination of three of the conflicts that established Prussian power in central Europe and unified Germany in the latter half of the nineteenth century. The author has organized the main body of his text in nine chapters devoted the Schleswig-Holstein conflict of 1864, the Six Weeks War of 1866, the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, and a wide variety of other related subjects. The author is a faculty member of Colorado College. Annotation ©2015 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)
The Wars of German Unification is the definitive account of the three of the most decisive conflicts in the history of modern Europe. In this new edition, Dennis Showalter offers a thoroughly updated look at the wars and their context that will be invaluable for those interested in the military, social and political history of the period.
Showalter explores how the Schleswig-Holstein conflict of 1864; the 'Six Weeks War' of 1866; and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 fundamentally altered the balance of power in 19th-century Europe. They marked the establishment of Prussian hegemony in central Europe, the creation of the Bismarckian Reich in 1871, the reduction of Habsburg influence and the collapse of Napoleon III's Second Empire.
The Wars of German Unification offers a balanced and incisive account of the wars, their origins and their consequences, and firmly embeds these conflicts in their political, ideological and military contexts. This volume traces the transition from the 'cabinet wars' of the 19th century and shows how the conflicts that made up the wars of German unification provided the foundation for the birth of modern warfare.
