[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rise-of-the-empire-spain":3,"chapter-rise-of-the-empire-spain-rise-of-the-empire-spain-chapter-50":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Rise of the Empire: Spain",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2364978,4632,"Chapter 50: The Establishment of the German Empire","rise-of-the-empire-spain-chapter-50",50,"\u003Cp>After the peace treaty with France was signed, there was no longer any external interference in the unification of Germany.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, transforming the Kingdom of Prussia into the German Empire was not easy, as many states, including Bavaria, were worried about their own independence after German unification.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The new empire was destined not to be as loose as the Holy Roman Empire; if Bavaria were to lose its independence because of German unification, it would be somewhat unacceptable to King Ludwig II of Bavaria.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, although a Bavarian king without any real power and the current Bavarian king holding real power had the same title rank, their influence across the entire German region was vastly different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, Prussia itself was not calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many nobles, including King Wilhelm I of Prussia,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>were not that enthusiastic about the establishment of the new empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because after the empire was established, the Kingdom of Prussia, which they had once been proud of, would become a part of the empire. The Hohenzollern family, as the royal house, might also abandon their old tradition of extreme thrift and frugality, imitating those extravagant European monarchs and engaging in wastefulness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such concerns were not unfounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although emperors and kings are both independent rulers, being the King of Prussia and being the German Emperor were completely different things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Becoming the German Emperor meant that the heavy responsibility of unifying the German region had been completed, and one would become one of the only three emperors in Europe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The newly established German Empire would surely become a more powerful great power, with comprehensive national strength far exceeding that of their long-time enemy, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, reaching the level of Britain and France.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having achieved such success, it was hard to guarantee that the Hohenzollern family would not become complacent, would not relax after long-term tension, and would not begin to enjoy the extravagant life of a royal family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But where there is opposition, there is approval, especially from Wilhelm I's son, the Prussian Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl. (Wilhelm II's father)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Crown Prince, born in 1831, was now nearly 40 years old.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Europe, a place where the average life expectancy was only thirty or forty, Crown Prince Friedrich's age was already considered middle-aged or elderly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although there was no hope of succession in the short term, if he could obtain a higher title through the establishment of the empire, it was something Crown Prince Friedrich was willing to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, who would be content to be just a crown prince for their whole life? With Wilhelm I being so long-lived, Crown Prince Friedrich could only elevate his title through the establishment of the empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How long-lived was Wilhelm I? Born in 1797, Wilhelm I did not pass away until 1888 in history, living for 91 years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was extremely rare in 19th-century Europe, and even considered long-lived in the 21st century, more than 100 years later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the son of Wilhelm I, the fate of Crown Prince Friedrich was quite tragic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In history, Crown Prince Friedrich did not ascend the throne until 1888, and because he suffered from throat cancer, he passed away after reigning for only 99 days, which also led to him being jokingly called the Hundred-Day Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Waiting from 1831 to 1888, a total of 57 years. 57 years of waiting in exchange for a 99-day throne; the 19th century's most tragic crown prince, Friedrich, absolutely deserved the title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the current Crown Prince Friedrich had not yet been diagnosed with throat cancer and was still relatively healthy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the reasoned arguments of Crown Prince Friedrich, Wilhelm I finally agreed to the establishment of the new empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Wilhelm I also put forward a requirement, which was that he would only do so if other German monarchs proposed that Wilhelm I take the throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the parliament were to demand that Wilhelm I take the throne before the other monarchs, Wilhelm I would reject the parliament's proposal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was also simple. If the empire were proposed by the monarchs of other German states, it would prove that the German Empire was recognized by the various states and had the support of the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if it were proposed by Prussia's own parliament, it would inevitably seem like self-amusement, and it would also make Wilhelm I's legitimacy somewhat shaky from the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the many German states, the only one qualified to request Wilhelm I to be crowned emperor was the Kingdom of Bavaria, the largest state in Southern Germany.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In order to accelerate the establishment of the empire, Bismarck wrote a letter to King Ludwig II of Bavaria, requesting that Ludwig II take the initiative to propose that Wilhelm I be crowned German Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, Bismarck had long agreed that Bavaria would enjoy a certain degree of independence within the German Empire, as well as the right of the Bavarian king to retain command of the Bavarian army during peacetime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bavarian government also had a say in foreign affairs, enjoyed privileges in finance, and did not need to comply with Prussian military regulations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terms of marriage and citizenship, it could retain its own unique laws, and it could also retain its own postal and telegraph services.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was already a huge concession to Bavaria; after obtaining so many benefits and guarantees, Ludwig II naturally would not oppose the coronation of Wilhelm I.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like that, under the public request of Ludwig II, Wilhelm I formally agreed to establish the German Empire and be crowned German Emperor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The location for the establishment of the empire was chosen at the Palace of Versailles in France; being crowned emperor in France had a unique significance for all Prussians.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prussia, the predecessor of the empire, had defeated France, the former European hegemon, which also symbolized Bismarck and Wilhelm I's beautiful expectations for the newborn German Empire: to replace France as the new European hegemon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In May 1870, amidst the hateful gazes of the French people, the complex expressions of the French National Defense Government, the fiery gazes of the Junker nobles, and the fanatical shouts of the Prussian army, King Wilhelm I of Prussia was formally crowned German Emperor, styled as Wilhelm I.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coronation ceremony was not complicated, and the participants were only nobles from Prussia and a few German states.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To prevent other great powers from interfering in the outcome of the Franco-Prussian War, Bismarck and Wilhelm I did not even invite the European great powers, only announcing the establishment of the German Empire after the coronation ceremony ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within Germany, the Germans were, of course, cheering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But within France, for the once-proud French, the feeling was not so pleasant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The German Empire was established by stepping on the heads of the French; as long as the German Empire existed for one day, it would bring endless humiliation to the French.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The establishment of the German Empire clearly deepened the hatred between the Germans and the French; the struggle for hegemony between the two most powerful land powers on the European continent today would affect the entire European situation, including Spain to the south of France.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First update, seeking support!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of this chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1210,"2026-06-25T09:27:12.995Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","7a5838f45743e7a436a31a0dbb4504d35a18d61fa8ca96dfcec40745aac97239","rise-of-the-empire-spain-chapter-51","rise-of-the-empire-spain-chapter-49",493,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frise-of-the-empire-spain-cover.jpg"]