lem, Bismarck saw that
the opportunity had come for the solution of the German question.

The events of the next seven years are familiar history. In 1864 Prussia
and Austria made war on Denmark, and obtained a joint sovereignty over
the duchies of Holstein and Schleswig. In 1866, with Italy as her ally,
Prussia drove Austria out of the German Confederation; annexed
Schleswig, Holstein, Hanover, Electoral Hesse, and Frankfort; and
brought all the German States north of the Main, except Luxemburg, into
the North German Confederation, of which the King of Prussia was
President and Bismarck Chancellor. When war was declared by France in
1870, the South German States also placed their forces at the King of
Prussia's disposal; and before the war was over they joined the newly
established German Empire, which thus included all the territories of
the old Confederation except German Austria and Luxemburg. The old
Confederation was a mere league of sovereign States; the new Empire was
a nation. To this Empire, at the close of the war, the French Republic
paid an indemnity of five milliards of francs, and ceded Alsace
and Lorraine.

In giving the German people political unity Bismarck realized their
strongest and deepest desire; and the feeling entertained toward him
underwent a sudden revulsion. From 1862 to 1866 he had been the best
hated man in Germany. The partial union of 1867--when, as he expressed
it, Germany was "put in the saddle"--made him a national hero. The
reconciliation with the people was the more complete because, at
Bismarck's suggestion, a German Parliament was created, elected by
universal suffrage, and because the Prussian ministers (to the great
indignation of their conservative supporters) asked the Prussian
Deputies to grant them indemnity for their unconstitutional conduct of
the government during the preceding four years. For the next ten years
Bismarck had behind him, in Prussian and in German affairs, a
substantial nationalist majority. At times, indeed, he had to restrain
their zeal. In 1867, for instance, when they desired to take Baden alone
into the new union,--the rest of South Germany being averse to
entrance,--Bismarck was obliged to tell them that it would be a poor
policy "to skim off the cream and let the rest of the milk turn sour."

Bismarck remained Chancellor of the Empire as well as Minister-President
of Prussia until 1890, when William II. demanded his resignation. During
these years