Growth of nationalism in Germany, 1815-1850The German Confederation
Cultural unity and economic cooperation under the Zollverein helped German nationalism to grow. Meanwhile, liberal idealists and fear of invasion encouraged nationalistic feeling in the German states.
At the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the allied forces decided to dissolve the Confederation of the Rhine. They wanted to eradicate the memory of French occupation. The German states now formed the German Confederation, also known as the Bund.
It aimed to protect its members and give them a stronger voice in Europe. It had a Diet (Parliament) but it did not achieve much as decisions had to be unanimous.