ABSTRACT
In the wake of the Napoleonic Wars the Congress of Vienna in 1815 created the German Confederation, comprising 39 states of varying sizes and importance. The two most important members were Austria and Prussia, and their struggle for the mastery of Germany would eventually destroy the Confederation and see the establishment of a united Germany ruled from the Prussian capital of Berlin. In 1821 a confederal army was created, but was never very effective because of inter-state tension.
