Empire Rise: Spain-Chapter 50: The German Empire Is Founded

After the peace talks treaty with France was signed, the unification of Germany faced no further external intervention.
However, turning the Kingdom of Prussia into the German Empire was not easy either, because many states, including Bavaria, were worried about their own independence issues after the unification of Germany.
The new empire was destined not to be as loose as the Holy Roman Empire. If Bavaria lost its independence due to the unification of Germany, this would be somewhat difficult for King Ludwig II of Bavaria to accept.
After all, a Bavarian king with no power and the current Bavarian king who holds real power may have the same title rank, but their influence in the entire German region has a world of difference.
At this time, domestic Prussia was not peaceful either.
Many nobles, including King Wilhelm I of Prussia,
were not so enthusiastic about the establishment of the new empire.
Because after the empire was established, the Kingdom of Prussia, which they once took pride in, would become part of the empire. The Hohenzollern Family, which became the imperial family, might also abandon the old tradition of extreme frugality and emulate those extravagant European monarchs, indulging in extravagance.
Such worries were not unfounded.
Although both emperor and king are independent rulers, being the king of Prussia and being the emperor of Germany are completely different.
After becoming the emperor of Germany, it means that the heavy task of unifying the German region has been completed, and becoming one of the only three emperors in Europe.
The newly established German Empire would surely become an even more powerful great power, with comprehensive national strength far surpassing its long-standing enemy, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, reaching the level of Britain and France.
Achieving such accomplishments, it was hard to guarantee that the people of the Hohenzollern Family would not be complacent and relax after a long period of tension, starting to enjoy the lavish life of the imperial family.
But if someone opposed, someone supported, especially Wilhelm I’s son, Crown Prince Frederick William Nicholas Charles. （Wilhelm II’s dad）
This crown prince, born in 1831, was now almost 40 years old.
In Europe, where the life expectancy was only thirty or forty years, the age of Crown Prince Frederick was already considered middle-aged and elderly.
Although there was no hope of succession in the short term, if he could obtain a higher nobility title through the establishment of the empire, that was something Crown Prince Frederick was willing to see.
After all, who would be content to be just a crown prince for a lifetime? In the situation where Wilhelm I lived too long, Crown Prince Frederick could only elevate his title through the establishment of the empire.
How long did Wilhelm I live? Born in 1797, Wilhelm I in history did not pass away until 1888, living to 91 years old.
This was extremely rare in 19th-century Europe, and even considered longevity in the 21st century more than 100 years later.
As Wilhelm I’s son, the fate of Crown Prince Frederick was relatively tragic.
In history, Crown Prince Frederick did not ascend to the throne until 1888, and due to throat cancer, he passed away after only 99 days, which also earned him the nickname of the Hundred Days Emperor.
From 1831 to 1888, he waited a total of 57 years. 57 years of waiting in exchange for 99 days on the imperial throne—Frederick, the most tragic crown prince of the 19th century, absolutely deserved the title.
Of course, the current Crown Prince Frederick had not yet been diagnosed with throat cancer, and his body was still relatively healthy.
Under Crown Prince Frederick’s forceful arguments, Wilhelm I still agreed to the establishment of the new empire.
But Wilhelm I also made a condition: only if other German monarchs proposed that Wilhelm I become emperor would Wilhelm I do so.
If Congress demanded that Wilhelm I become emperor before the other monarchs, Wilhelm I would refuse Congress’s proposal.
The reason was also simple. If it was proposed by the monarchs of other German states to establish the empire, it could prove that the German Empire was recognized by various states and had popular support.
But if it was Prussia’s own Congress that proposed establishing the empire, it would inevitably seem somewhat self-entertaining, and Wilhelm I’s jurisprudence would be somewhat unstable from the beginning.
Among the many German states, the one most qualified to request Wilhelm I’s coronation as emperor was the largest South German state, the Kingdom of Bavaria.
In order to accelerate the establishment of the empire, Bismarck wrote a letter to King Ludwig II of Bavaria, requesting that Ludwig II take the initiative to propose Wilhelm I’s coronation as emperor of Germany.
At this time, Bismarck had long agreed that Bavaria would enjoy a certain degree of independence within the German Empire, and that the King of Bavaria would still have command of the Bavarian Army during peacetime.
The Bavarian government also had the right to speak in diplomacy, enjoyed privileges in the financial aspect, and did not need to comply with Prussian Army regulations.
In terms of marriage and citizenship, it could retain its own unique laws, and also retain its own postal and telegram services.
This was already a huge concession to Bavaria. After obtaining so many benefits and guarantees, Ludwig II naturally would not oppose Wilhelm I’s coronation.
In this way, under Ludwig II’s public request, Wilhelm I formally agreed to establish the German Empire and was crowned emperor of Germany.
The location for the establishment of the empire was chosen at the Palace of Versailles in France. Being crowned emperor in France held unique significance for all Prussians.
The predecessor of the empire, Prussia, defeated the former European hegemon France, which also symbolized Bismarck and Wilhelm I’s beautiful expectations for the newborn German Empire: to replace France and become the new European hegemon.
In May 1870, amid the hateful gazes of the French people, under the complex eyes of the French Government of National Defence, amid the fervent gazes of the Junker nobility, and amid the frenzied cheers of the Prussian Army, King Wilhelm I of Prussia was formally crowned emperor of Germany, titled Wilhelm I.
The coronation ceremony was not complicated, and the participants were only nobles from Prussia and a few German states.
In order to prevent other great powers from intervening in the outcome of the Franco-Prussian War, Bismarck and Wilhelm I did not invite the European great powers much, only announcing the establishment of the German Empire after the coronation ceremony ended.
Within Germany, the Teutons were naturally cheering.
But within France, for the once proud French, the feeling was not so good.
The German Empire was established on top of the French. As long as the German Empire existed for one day, it would bring endless humiliation to the French.
The establishment of the German Empire obviously deepened the hatred between the Teutons and the French. The hegemony contest between the two most powerful land powers on the European Continent today would affect the situation across Europe, including Spain to the south of France.
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