>>44680843You’re forgetting the intermediate step of the North German Confederation.
>>44680958Long story short, the Hapsburg family, which ruled Austria, controlled the largest chunk of the Holy Roman Empire, a precursor to modern Germany, at the end of the Medieval era, while made Austria the strongest and wealthiest, especially when combined with their ties to Spain during its golden age. The decline of Spain and the rise of Prussia as a counterweight within the HRE changed all that and, combined with the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, led to the situation of the 19th century.
