North German Confederation

From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change

The North German Confederation (German: Norddeutscher Bund), was a military alliance of 22 states of northern Germany. It started in August 1866, and the Kingdom of Prussia was the leading state. In July 1867 it became a political alliance too. The Confederation was a federal state, with a constitution which set out what the individual countries could do, and what what be done by the federation.

The North German Confederation was the basis of the German Empire, which adopted most parts of the federation's constitution and its flag. It included the lands of the German Confederation north of the river Main, plus Prussia's eastern territories and the Duchy of Schleswig. Austria, and the southern states of Bavaria, Württemberg, Baden and the southern parts of the Grand Duchy of Hesse were not in the Confederation. Bismarck thought Austria was too powerful at the time and wanted to set up a state Prussia could dominate.

The federation was created after Prussia defeated Austria and the other remaining states of the German Confederation in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. Otto von Bismarck was its Chancellor, and the King of Prussia, William I was its President. The states sent representatives to the Reichsrat (Federal Council). The Federal Council had 43 members, 17 were from Prussia. seats (of which Prussia held 17). The southern states were soon allowed to sent representatives if the joined a Customs Union.

The Federation was dissolved after Prussia beat the Second French Empire in the Franco-Prussian War of 1871. Bavaria, Württemberg, and Baden (together with parts of the Grand Duchy of Hesse which had not originally joined the federation), joined with the Federation to form the German Empire. William I became German Emperor he was not called the Emperor of Germany because it was thought that that title could only be used if Austria was included.

[change] Postage stamps

The federation handled the mail and issued postage stamps, after 1 January 1868. But the federation did not issue its own money, so different stamps had to be issued. Stamps valued in groschen were used in the north, stamps in kreuzer in the Southern District. All of these stamps were marked NORDDEUTSCHER POSTBEZIRK (North German Postal Area).

A third set of stamps were printed for Hamburg. These were also marked STADTPOSTBRIEF HAMBURG.

[change] List of member states

State		Capital
Kingdoms (Königreiche)
	Prussia (Preußen) (including Lauenburg)	Berlin
	Saxony (Sachsen)	Dresden
Grand duchies (Großherzogtümer)
	Hesse (Hessen) (Only Upper Hesse, the province north of the Main River)	Giessen
	Mecklenburg-Schwerin	Schwerin
	Mecklenburg-Strelitz	Neustrelitz
	Oldenburg	Oldenburg
	Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach)	Weimar
Duchies (Herzogtümer)
	Anhalt	Dessau
	Brunswick (Braunschweig)	Braunschweig
	Saxe-Altenburg (Sachsen-Altenburg)	Altenburg
	Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha)	Coburg
	Saxe-Meiningen (Sachsen-Meiningen)	Meiningen
Principalities (Fürstentümer)
	Lippe	Detmold
	Reuss, junior line	Gera
	Reuss, senior line	Greiz
	Schaumburg-Lippe	Bückeburg
	Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt	Rudolstadt
	Schwarzburg-Sondershausen	Sondershausen
	Waldeck-Pyrmont	Arolsen
Free Hanseatic cities (Freie Hansestädte)
	Bremen
	Hamburg
	Lübeck

v • d • e States of the North German Confederation (1866–71)
Kingdoms	Prussia | Saxony
Grand Duchies	Hesse | Mecklenburg: Schwerin, Strelitz | Oldenburg | Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Duchies	Anhalt | Brunswick | Saxony: Altenburg, Coburg and Gotha, Meiningen
Principalities	Schaumburg-Lippe | Schwarzburg: Rudolstadt, Sondershausen | Lippe | Reuss: Elder, Junior | Waldeck-Pyrmont
City-states	Bremen | Hamburg | Lübeck