Prussia and Austria could not agree on the administration of Schleswig-Holstein and in June 1866 Austria declared war on Prussia. Austria was no match for the Prussian army, which also used telegraph and railway in its mobilization of 250,000 soldiers. Prussia overran Austria and its six German allies (Bavaria, Nassau, Saxony, Hanover, Hesse-Kassel, and Frankfurt-on-Main) in only seven weeks of fighting. The battle on 3 July 1866 at the former Austrian city of Königgrätz - now called Hradec Kralove and located in the Czech Republic - was the largest of its time, with nearly 500,000 troops involved. It was also the first battle where new technology was used including the railway, telegraph, cast steel rifled cannon and breech-loading needle rifle. The losses in the battle were immense on both sides. The Treaty of Prauge of August 1866 officially ended the war and changed the map of Germany enormously. Prussia managed to: - dissolve the German Confederation of 1815 - take control of both Schleswig and Holstein -take control of and annex the German states north of the Main river, which had fought on the Austrian side - form the North German Confederation under Prussian control - and without Austria! The founding of the North German Confederation marked the end of Austrian influence in Germany. Bismarck‘s aim had been achieved. Only the German states in the south such as Bavaria, Baden, Wurtemberg and Hesse-Darmstadt remained independent. Altough the south German states feared further „Prussianization“ in Germany, they also feared France. So they were militarily allied with the new North German Confederation and joined the Prussian-dominated Zollverein.

breech-loading needle rifle (Zündnadelgewehr)

cast steel rifled cannon (Gußstahlkanone)