We had to avoid wounding Austria too severely, we had to avoid leaving behind in her any unnecessary bitterness of
feeling or desire for revenge: we ought rather to reserve the
possibility of becoming friends again with our adversary of
the moment, and in any case to regard the Austrian state
as a piece on the European chessboard. If Austria were
severely injured, she would become the ally of France and
of every other opponent of ours; she would even sacrifice
her anti-Russian interests for the sake of revenge on
Prussia... The acquisition of provinces like Austria
Silesia and portions of Bohemia could not strengthen the
Prussian state; it would not lead to an amalgamation of
German Austria with Prussia, and Vienna could not be
governed from Berlin as a mere dependency Austria's
conflict and rivalry with us was no more culpable than ours
with her, our task was the establishment or foundation of
German national unity under the leadership of the King of
Prussia
Why does Bismarck feel it was necessary to avoid doing great harm to
Austria in its war against Prussia?
A. Damaging Austria too greatly would cause its leaders to join with
Prussia's other enemies.
B. Both Austrians and Prussians were part of the German nation and
could be joined together without war.
C. Austria was in control of the German city of Vienna, which had
once been a dependency of Prussia.
D. Russia and France had an alliance with Austria and would retaliate
against Prussia,