The third and final act of German unification was the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, orchestrated by Bismarck to draw the western German states into alliance with the North German Confederation. With the French defeat, the German Empire was proclaimed in January 1871 in the Palace at Versailles, France.

9. GovernmentandtheChurch
• Bismarck believed Roman Catholic Church
posed threat to government
• Believed government, not church, should
control aspects of culture, like education
• Worked to restrict influence of Catholic Church
in Germany
This struggle between the government and the
church was known as Kulturkampf, which means
“the struggle for culture.”

11. Thank You