BATTLE OF KÖNIGGRÄTZ
The Battle of Königgrätz was the most decisive clash between the armies of Prussia and those of Austria and her allies during the seven-week Austro-Prussian War in 1866. It was one of the largest battles of the age, with almost half a million men fighting on the field. The context of the Austro-Prussian War was one of nationalism and the unification of German states. At the time, the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia were the two largest and most dominant forces in the German-speaking world. There were actually 37 separate states in the German Confederation but their unification became a hot topic known as ‘The German Question’ in the post- Napoleonic world.
From 1815 tensions had grown over which of the states would lead the new ideology of German nationalism; unification under Prussia was known as ‘Little Germany’ and under Austria ‘Big Germany’.
Another fiercely debated topic in 19th century politics was the Schleswig-Holstein Question. This involved the disputed land between Prussia and Denmark in the Jutland Peninsula. In 1863 an attempt to integrate the territory into the Kingdom of Denmark was made, leading to a war in 1864. Prussia invaded, this time with Austria as an ally. The
