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The Großdeutsche Lösung, meaning greater German solution, was a one of two basic political concepts in the early 19th century in the debates about the "German Question"; the other option was the Kleindeutsche Lösung (minor German solution).

Both movements can be understood as part of a more general nation-building process in Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries when the multi-national Austro-Hungarian, Russian, and Ottoman empires were replaced by nation-states. The German nation-building process can be compared to similar movements in Italy (Italia irredenta), Hungary, Serbia, and in pre-1914 Poland.

The proponents of the larger German solution wanted Austria integrated into the new nation in an attempt to balance the power of a more powerful growing Protestant Prussia. Austria could have been a counter weight, not only politically but also because of its predominantly Catholic population.

[edit] Background

First German National assembly in St. Paul's Church, Frankfurt 1848/49.

In 1848, German liberals and nationalists united in revolution, forming the Frankfurt Parliament, whereas this National Assembly demanded the unification of all German-populated lands into one nation. Austria posed a problem because it was linked with non-German Hungary and numerous non-German possessions (including Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Rusyns, Ukrainians, Slovenians, Croatians, and Serbs) making up the larger part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Unlike Austria, Hungary and these non-German territories were never part of the former Holy Roman Empire and they had no desire to be included into a German state. Austria, with its own ambitions would not part from its non-German possessions and dismantle the Austrian Empire in order to join a German nation state.

Thus, some members of the assembly and namely Prussia promoted the Kleindeutsche Lösung (minor German solution) which excluded Austria and its non-German possessions. With the eventual foundation of the German Empire in 1871, which did not include Austria, to the disappointment of many, the minor German solution was put into practice.

[edit] References