Britannica
Sources used in this answer
- Prussia - The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic period
- History of Germany - Results of the Congress of Vienna
- Germany - Results of the Congress of Vienna
- German Empire - Establishment of the North German Confederation
- Confederation of the Rhine
- Rhineland
- Rhineland-Palatinate - History of Rhineland-Palatinate
How did Prussia's new Rhineland and Westphalian territories affect its role in Germany?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna, watercolor etching by August Friedrich Andreas Campe; in the collection of the State Borodino War and History Museum, Moscow.
Following the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the acquisition of the Rhineland and Westphalia fundamentally transformed Prussia’s role in Germany. By assigning these territories to Prussia, the victorious powers intended to create a strong defender against potential future French aggression on the western border.12
This territorial shift had several critical consequences:
- Strategic Pivot: Prussia’s center of gravity moved from eastern Europe toward western and central Germany. This gave the kingdom a strategic position on both the eastern and western frontiers of the nation.31
- Industrial Power: The inclusion of the Ruhr district within these new provinces provided Prussia with the foundation to become the most significant industrial center on the Continent.12
- Rivalry with Austria: As the only great power with a predominantly German-speaking population, Prussia emerged as the primary rival to Austria for hegemony within the newly created German Confederation.3
- Shift in National Focus: While Prussia was thrust back into German affairs, Austria’s focus shifted eastward toward Italy and eastern Europe, making the Habsburg empire less German in its composition and outlook.12