384 THE MODERN NATIONS what was virtually absolute authority, in order to obtain the needed military forces and reforms. The organisation, in the hands of Albert von Roon and Moltke, rapidly made the Prussian army into the most perfect of military machines. A contest for the leadership of Germany between Austria and Prussia was approaching; the victory of Prussia must mean the exclusion of Austria from any union of which she was head. It was Bismarck's aim to bring the rivalry to an issue at the moment most favourable for Prussia. The opening came when the death of the King of Denmark revived disputed questions as to the succession to the duchies Schieswig- of Schleswig and Holstein which were attached Holstein. to the Danish Crown. The title of the new king, Christian, to them could be challenged. Prussia and Austria occupied the duchies after some fighting with the Danes, as representing the claims of the German Confederation. By a convention at Gastein between the two powers the administration of Schleswig was assigned to Prussia and that of Holstein to Austria. Bismarck on the one hand procured an alliance with Italy which was to be rewarded with Venetia, and on the other he beguiled Napoleon into neutrality — by allowing him first to expect the cession of the Rhine provinces, and secondly to believe that Prussia would have to appeal to France to save her from destruction. Meanwhile Austria was being led on to formal transgressions of subsisting rights, and the moment arrived for Prussia to deal the decisive blow. Consummate organisation and perfect readiness for action brought what is known as the Seven Weeks' War to a very rapid The Seven conclusion. The Italians indeed met with nothing Weeks' War. b u t reverses; but the Prussians had inflicted a quite decisive defeat on the Austrians at Koniggratz or Sadowa in less than three weeks after the hostilities began. The terms of peace gave Prussia all she required, and Bismarck even had to exert himself to prevent them from being unduly humiliating to Austria. The states of the German Confederation which had taken up arms in Austria's quarrel had been simultaneously and successfully occupied by the Prussians. The treaty which ended the war weakened Saxony, and handed over
