Why was German unification achieved through Prussian victory?

The extent of popular support for unification: 

• 1859 - Nationalism was revived after the war scare and the Nationalverein was established
• The Nationalverein led the way in calling for German unification under Prussia and was an organised expression of German national consciousness
• The weakness of the Nationalverein was that the support was limited; at its height it only had 25,000 members
• It had limited influence
• 1860s - there were many opportunities for Germans to express national pride
• Centenaries of the births of Schiller and Fichte
• Fiftieth anniversaries of the victories over Napoleon at Leipzig and Waterloo
• 1850s/60s - increased membership of singing, shooting and gymnastics clubs; suspected as being the front for liberal and nationalist political groups
• Members shared in a desire for greater unity
• 1863 - Schleswig-Holstein crisis brought about mass nationalism
• Public meetings to support the Duke of Augustenberg attracted 10,000 people
• This was limited by Austria and Prussia refusing to recognise the claims of the Duke of Augustenberg and persued their own interests
• This failure to influence the outcome of the Schleswig-Holstein crisis caused nationalism to decline

What part did economic factors play in the process of unification?

The Zollverein:

• Possible to see it as inspirered by a desire for greater national unity 
• Established under Prussian leadership and Austria was excluded can be seen as setting the scene for an eventual Prussian takeover of Germany
• Along with the Confederation, it was the only national institution in Germany before unification
• 1850s - only major German state outside the Zollverein was Austria
• Could be seen as Prussian ambition to challenge Austria's leadership
• However, it could have been established due to Prussia's own internal needs rather than to dominate Germany
• Austria was still agrarian and protectionist whilst Prussia was going through industrialisation and moving towards free trade
• Thus there was a conflict of interest, perhaps another reason why Austria was blocked from joining
• It made the states more economically interdependent
• It also showed that even more rapid economic growth could be achieved if other aspects of economic life such as postal systems, railways, currency, weights and measures were brought under unified control
• However, economic leadership did not equate to political leadership
• 1866 - most of the smaller states of the Zollverein supported Austria in the war

Railways:

• Broke down barriers to trade 
• Greater sense of national unity
• Stimulated economic growth
• Berlin became one of the major railway centres
• 1866 - essential when it came to mobilisation as Prussia had five railway lines to the frontier which meant they mobilised and condenced troops much faster which was vital in their victory

Industrial strength:

• Main industrial areas of the Ruhr, Silesia and the Saarland were all in Prussia
• Had more coal mines, iron and steel- making capacity and engineering than other German states
• Krupps of Essen was one of the key factors behind Prussia's military success
• The wealth generated by industrial expansion made it possible for Prussia to maintain, supply and equip a large army that led to the unification of Germany
• It should…