... Prussia took Schleswig and Austria took Holstein. This gave Bismark the chance to pick a quarrel with Austria whenever he saw the need. It has been argued that Bismark did not deliberately set out for war with Denmark, but cleverly took advantage of the situation. Bismark's next war was against Austria, seeming more planned. In 1866 he provoked war by proposing that the German confederation should be dissolved and a new one set up excluding Austria. Lasting only seven weeks, this proved a great success as it led to the setting up of the new 'North German Confederation,' making the unification of Germany easier as Prussia's main rival was excluded. The 'Peace of Prague' Treaty was then signed which achieved Bismark's main aims of Prussian domination. Bismark's third war came over the issue of the succession of the Spanish throne in 1870. Napoleon III feared the encirclement of France if a Hohenzollern ...

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