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Austro-Prussian War Facts & Worksheets

The Austro-Prussian war was a war fought between the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia in 1866.

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The Austro-Prussian war was a war fought between the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia in 1866. It is also known as the Seven-Weeks’ War, the German Civil War, the Unification War, the War of 1866, and the Fraternal War. In Germany, it is called the German War or Deutscher Krieg in German.

See the fact file below for more information on the Austro-Prussian war or alternatively, you can download our 27-page Austro-Prussian War worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

GENERAL BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE

  • The Austro-Prussian War lasted for 1 month and 8 days.
  • It broke out on June 14 and ended on July 22, 1886.
  • The Austro-Prussian War was mainly fought in the areas of Bohemia, Germany, Italy, and Adriatic Sea.
  • The Prussian kingdom and Italian forces were the victor of the Austro-Prussian War, and the consequences of their victory were:
    • The German Confederation was dissolved.
    • The North German Confederation was formed.
    • Austria was excluded from Germany.
    • Austria-Hungary was formed.
  • Territorial changes happened in the Austro-Prussian War: Hanover, Holstein, Schleswig, Hesse-Kassel, Nassau, Frankfurt, and parts of Bavaria and Hesse-Darmstadt were annexed by Prussia; Venetia became a complete annex of Italy; and Friuli became a partial annex of Italy.

CAUSES OF THE WAR

  • Germany was divided into several independent states during the mid-19th century.
  • During this time, Prussia exhibited military superiority.
  • The Habsburgs and Hohenzollerns were the ruling families of Austria and Prussia correspondingly, and they both wanted to rule central Europe.
  • Austria and Prussia seized Danish territories in 1864.
  • In 1866, Austria and Prussia had a dispute regarding how to rule the states they captured.
  • The majority of German states caveated a unified Germany.
  • However, there were opposing views as to whether Austria would be included or not.
  • Other states did not want to be ruled by Prussia, so they sided with Austria.
  • Otto von Bismarck allied with Italy in April 1886.
  • Italy also wanted to be a unified country and liberate itself from Austria.

BELLIGERENTS AND FORCES

  • Aside from being allied with Italy, the German Confederation led by Prussia consisted of the states of:
    • Prussia
    • Saxe-Lauenburg
    • Brunswick
    • Mecklenburg-Schwerin
    • Saxe-Coburg & Gotha
    • Saxe-Altenburg
    • Mecklenburg-Strelitz
    • Oldenburg
    • Anhalt
    • Schwarburg
    • Waldeck
    • Lippe
    • Lübeck
    • Bremen
    • Hamburg
  • The Austrian forces were led by:
    • Franz Joseph I
    • Albrecht von Teschen
    • Ludwig von Benedek
    • Ludwig II
    • Prince Karl Theodor
    • Crown Prince Albert
  • The Prussian and Italian forces were led and commanded by:
    • William I
    • Otto von Bismarck
    • Helmuth von Moltke
    • Victor Emmanuel II
    • Alfonso La Marmora
    • Giuseppe Garibaldi
  • The German Confederation led by Austria comprised the states of:
    • Austria
    • Bavaria
    • Saxony
    • Hanover
    • Württemberg
    • Hesse-Kassel
    • Baden
    • Hesse-Darmstadt
    • Nassau
    • Saxe-Meiningen
    • Reuss-Greiz
    • Schaumburg-Lippe
    • Frankfurt
    • Liechtenstein

THE WAR

  • Prussia, Austria, and Italy spent spring 1866 mainly preparing for the war.
  • General Helmuth von Moltke had developed mobilisation plans for Prussia.
  • From June 15-16, 1866, Prussia started the invasion of the Austrian-allied states of Hanover, Saxony, and Hesse.
  • On June 20, 1866, Italy declared war on Austria.
  • On June 26, 1866, three Prussian forces marched to fight in Bohemia.
  • The Army of Elbe and First Army gained minor victories that further mobilized them.
  • On June 27, 1866, the Battle of Langensalza began.
  • Prussia suffered military defeat by Hanover.
  • However, Hanover were forced to surrender due to the presence of other Prussian troops in the area.
  • The Second Army fought hard at Trautenau in an attempt to gain control of a mountain pass leading to Austrian territory.
  • The Austrians were able to resist, but lost thousands of men.
  • Loss of men forced them to retreat at Nachod and use a different mountain route.
  • The Prussian Army succeeded in marching into Austrian territory.
  • On July 1, 1866, after several battles resulting in Prussian victory, Austrian Commander Ludwig von Benedek retreated his troops to Königgrätz.
  • Commander Benedek wrote to Austrian Emperor Franz Josef I to negotiate peace to preserve his army.
  • Franz Josef refused.
  • On July 2, 1866, the Prussian Army, led by Moltke, planned to attack Königgratz.
  • On July 3, 1866, the Battle of Königgätz happened.
  • Contrary to Moltke’s expectation, the Second Army did not arrive early.
  • The First Army was outnumbered but managed to fight the Austrians off.
  • Eventually, the Army of Elbe and Second Army arrived to help the First Army.
  • The Austrians were forced to retreat.
  • On July 22, 1866, the last skirmish happened in Blumenau.
  • Bismarck demanded to take over Hanover, Schleswig-Holstein, and parts of Hesse and Bavaria.
  • The region of Venetia was also handed to Italy.

THE PEACE OF PRAGUE AND CASUALTIES OF WAR

  • The Prussian and Italian forces deployed a total of 637,262 soldiers, and suffered 39,990 casualties.
  • The Austrian forces deployed 517,123 soldiers, and suffered 132,414 casualties.
  • The Peace of Prague was officially signed on August 23, 1866.
  • The agreement excluded Austria as part of a unified Germany.
  • Through the Peace of Prague, Prussia gained total dominance of Germany.
  • Germany was officially unified by Prussian Emperor Wilhelm I.

Austro-Prussian War Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Austro-Prussian war across 27 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Austro-Prussian War worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Austro-Prussian war which was a war fought between the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia in 1866. It is also known as the Seven-Weeks’ War, the German Civil War, the Unification War, the War of 1866, and the Fraternal War. In Germany, it is called the German War or Deutscher Krieg in German.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Austro-Prussian War Facts
  • Decipher the Text
  • Summary Timeline
  • Leading to War
  • Identify the Country
  • Forces Classification
  • Major Battle Search
  • Complete the Sentence
  • Consequences Comics
  • German Confederation
  • Image Story

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Use With Any Curriculum

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