By the 1860s, there were various forces and work, both internal and external, which would improve

the chances of Germany achieving unity. Arguably, economic factors were crucial in Prussia for unification. Economic reform gained momentum, and under the direction of Manteuffel (1850 58), reforms were being introduced, with intent of increasing the loyalty of peasants towards the rulers of Prussia. Furthermore, the government supported schemes to aid workers, granting their demands in hopes of encouraging them to support the rulers of Prussia and to disregard revolutionary ideas. Undoubtedly, several other factors contributed to unification, however, historian and economist John Maynard Keynes, argued that the industrial and economic preparation before the wars were what were most important, claiming the great questions of the day, were coal and iron. This is in contrary to Bismarck, who stated that The great questions of the day will be settled by blood and iron. suggesting that Prussias military victories in the 1860s were the key to unification. Such other factors include; the legacy of Germany nationalism, which includes cultural, economic, and political developments pre-1850, the role of the Nationalverein, and the growth of Prussian military strength. In this essay I will fully evaluate these aforementioned factors, and validate the importance of them in helping Germany unify. Economic growth had already gained momentum within Germany due to pre-1850 developments, and this growth would continue after. Most states had joined an economic customs union (the 1824 Zollverein), and this increased communications and a sense of independence among German states. The Zollverein abolished trade barriers, removing taxes and creating a large trade area. This encouraged the states to trade amongst each other, creating economic growth. Furthermore, by 1850, over 3000 miles of railway had been constructed. This effectively linked all of Germany, allowing ease of trade and the ability to mobilize military proficiently. Both the Zollverein and the building of railways created a solid foundation of infrastructure which promoted economic growth. This helped German unification because it enhanced the German economy, allowing states such as Prussia to fund its conquests (such as its military reforms and operations). By the 1850s, Prussia was beginning to outstrip Austria by a long way in terms of economy. This was due to social reforms that were progressively introduced to encourage the economic growth of the state. The decade of the 1850s saw the growth and development of both Prussia and German economies; this was while Austrias economy began to deteriorate. The highly successful Zollverein continued to grow and prosper, creating trade prospects, but more importantly, the discovery of raw materials in the Rhine and Saarland greatly assisted Prussia, who fully exploited these resources to their advantage. For example, in 1850-54, the German confederation was producing 9.2 million tonnes of coal and lignite, but within 5 years (1855-59), this figure increased to 14.7 million tonnes a huge increase. This is compared to Austria, who were producing 2.2 million tonnes at this point, a drastically smaller sum. In a world where industrial strength was proving to become increasingly important within politics, Austria was falling behind, due to a lack of natural resources. Furthermore, in 1855, the German Confederation had established 7,826 kilometres of railway line,

compares to Austrias feeble 2,145 kilometres, more than triple. These statistics clearly show the widening gap that was beginning to emerge between Germany and Austria. Germanys infrastructure was clearly superior, and besides pushing the economy steadily forward, Germany was now a European powerhouse that was actually starting to be regarded as possible competition from the likes of France and Britain. This economic growth paved the way for German unification because it allowed Germany to fund further developments such as its military, and furthermore, industrialisation was rapidly taking place, which pushed Germany forward as a leading country in Europe.