With the rise of nationalism following the French Revolution, the Germans’ desire for unification shone like a sun on the horizon. King Wilhelm I, who ascended the Prussian throne in 1861, shared the same ambition and was determined to do everything in his power for the Kleindeutsche Lösung (the “Lesser German Solution”). Together with his Prime Minister Otto von Bismarck, the Second Schleswig-Holstein War and the subsequent Seven Weeks War established Prussia as the leading power in German unification, bringing this goal closer than ever before. Meanwhile, French Emperor Napoleon III did everything he could to keep the still-independent German states on his side, to prevent German unification, and to stop the emergence of a new power center in Europe.

In this committee, you delegates will reshape the balance of power in Europe and decide its future. Remember, the fate of Europe depends on your actions and the steps you take.