The proclamation of the German Empire in 1871 unified the German states under Prussian leadership, creating a major new power in European politics.
Key Facts
- Proclamation date
- January 18, 1871
- Constitution in force
- January 1, 1871
- Proclaimed emperor
- Prussian King Wilhelm I
- Proclamation venue
- Palace of Versailles, outside Paris
- Southern states joining
- Baden, Hesse-Darmstadt, Württemberg, Bavaria
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The joint victory of the German states over France in the Franco-Prussian War created political conditions favorable to unification. The November Treaties of 1870 brought the southern German states of Baden, Hesse-Darmstadt, Württemberg, and Bavaria into the Prussian-dominated North German Confederation, laying the constitutional groundwork for a unified German state.
On January 1, 1871, the new Constitution of the German Confederation came into force, formally expanding the federation into the German Empire. On January 18, 1871, at the Palace of Versailles outside Paris, Prussian King Wilhelm I was proclaimed German Emperor, marking the official founding of the German Empire.
The German Empire emerged as a significant new power in Europe, uniting previously separate German states under Prussian leadership. January 18 was established as a national day of celebration commemorating the founding, and the new empire would go on to reshape the balance of power on the European continent in the decades that followed.