Soul A perfect geopolitical question. My take. [heavily abrieviated] Prussia 'reached out'. A bold move. But Austria was in my opinion 'dominated' by factions willing to join the Grossdeautschland. Ripe. Superior prussian organisation and the skill of CoS von Blumenthal Secured a victory in 7 weeks. Occam
Comeback I've played the austrians at Eckmuhl. [HPS] And beat the french.. Stupidity was Napoleons greatest ally. Occam
Power struggles for influence over all the small German states, at the time there were near 30 German countries, Prussia and the Austrian(Austrian-Hungarian after the war) empire by far were the 2 most powerful.
Following the defeat of Napoleon about fifty years earlier, Europe enjoyed a relatively peaceful period. Monarchies were re-established, although in Prussia, Bismarck was in power. Prussia was stable enough to tax its working class and middle class and accumulate a surplus which could be invested in a standing army. The standing army was suitable for picking fights with Denmark, Austria and France. These wars are never in the interest of the peasantry and the working class, who pay for them with blood and poverty. The Wikipedia entry for Bismarck gives some details of the politics behind the Austro-Prussian war.It was proposed that the Diet of the German Confederation (in which all the states of Germany were represented) should determine the fate of the duchies (Schleswig and Holstein); but before this scheme could be effected, Bismarck induced Austria to agree to the Gastein Convention. Under this agreement signed 20 August 1865, Prussia received Schleswig, while Austria received Holstein... In 1866, Austria reneged on the prior agreement by demanding that the Diet determine the Schleswig-Holstein issue. Bismarck used this as an excuse to start a war with Austria by charging that the Austrians had violated the Convention of Gastein. Bismarck sent Prussian troops to occupy Holstein. Provoked, Austria called for the aid of other German states, who quickly became involved in the Austro-Prussian War.
Let's put it another way. Bismarck invaded Holstein (formally part of Austria) because he had gumshoe soldiers who needed a meal and who could get a meal by enlisting. Wars will cease when men refuse to fight.
