Kleindeutsche Lösung

For the German neighbourhood in New York City, see Little Germany, New York.

The Kleindeutsche Lösung (literally "Small German Solution") was a 19th century political idea postulating the idea of a unified Germany led by Hohenzollern Prussia, excluding the Austrian Empire which was united with Hungary and not willing to separate. The inclusion of Hungary would have contradicted the idea of a national state.

It stands in contrast to the idea of a Großdeutschland (Greater Germany). The German parliament which was elected after the early successes of the revolution of 1848 was split between the two options, with the democratic left favouring a Republican Großdeutschland, where as the liberal centre favoured a Kleindeutschland with a constitutional monarchy. In the end, the Kleindeutsche Lösung prevailed, but the Prussian King rejected the crown offered to him.

After the Austro-Prussian Dualism had been forcefully decided in favor of Prussia by the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, Kleindeutschland was realized in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian War. The "small solution" was partially also chosen in order to prevent the Austrian and fellow Catholics in the south and west from being a predominant force in a Prussian Germany, as was seen in Bismarck's eyes.

After World War I, the Habsburg Monarchy was broken up and the German-speaking territories, having lost their industrial and trading areas, decided to join the German Reich. The Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain however specifically prohibited the union of Austria and Germany. Still, the Greater German sentiment remained strong and in 1938 Adolf Hitler annexed Austria into a new Grossdeutsches Reich. In contrast to earlier versions of the Greater German idea, Austria was split up into several districts.

After the Second World War Austria was once again separated from Germany and managed to gain its independence as a neutral state despite the growing Cold War. Austria also declared itself the "first victim of Nazi Germany", despite its having been a part of Germany througout the war and despite the involvement of many Austrians with the regime. This need to distance oneself from Germany effectively ended "Greater German" sentiments in Austria.