Which event did Otto von Bismarck utilize to gain support from southern Germans?

Otto von Bismarck strategically utilized the Franco-Prussian War to gain support from southern Germans, a crucial move in his efforts to unify Germany under Prussian leadership. The Franco-Prussian War, which occurred from 1870 to 1871, was significant because it rallied nationalist sentiments among German states.

Bismarck orchestrated a conflict with France, which he framed as a threat to all German people, thereby igniting a sense of shared identity and urgency among the various German territories, especially those in the south that had been hesitant to fully align with Prussian influence. The perception of a common enemy in France allowed Bismarck to foster unity among the disparate German states, including the southern states that traditionally had more cultural ties to Austria and were wary of Prussian dominance.

As a result of the war, southern Germans, initially skeptical of unification, were swayed by the palpable sense of nationalism and camaraderie that emerged during the conflict. The subsequent victory against France and the establishment of the German Empire in 1871 helped solidify these newly allied relationships, marking a pivotal moment in Bismarck's unification strategy.