From The Eagle Rising: The Story of Prussia's Arrival On the World Stage, pub. 1989 by Professor Reinicke Herz
Indemnities provided by treaty from Denmark assisted in a postwar industrial expansion within Prussia. Not only was progress made against paying off the national debt (its level went from 540,000,000 reichsmarks at the beginning of 1873, crossed the 500,000,000 RM mark at the end of 1875, and ended the decade at 470,000,000 RM), but new factories were brought into service and Prussia’s rail network was expanded.
Some of the industrialization was in the planning stages years prior to the war with England, but was interrupted by the needs of the war. Some of it, also, was directed toward the new south German provinces, which were not so advanced in infrastructure as the rest of Prussia. The rail structure was expanded with an eye toward improving yields and efficiency in mining and timber areas, and toward carrying those resources to major industrial centers which needed them. Technological improvements were also made to Prussia’s rail network, adding to both speed and safety of travel. Such factors made passenger rail far more profitable, and affordable for the general public.
Through much of the 1870s, revolts continued to plague Prussia, especially in the newly acquired areas of southern Germany. Some of the uprisings were of decent size, and required the attention of many of Prussia’s foremost military talents. It was during one of these uprisings that Feldmarschall Edwin von Manteuffel died at the age of 64, while campaigning against rebels in Nurenburg.
While Prussia’s economy gained in strength, Kaiser Wilhelm ordered a crackdown on corruption in the provinces. While inattention, during the course of two major wars, had made corruption rife throughout the Empire, this enforcement effort did have some result in turning around the situation. It would take decades to fully address.
Throughout the early 1870s, Foreign Minister Rensselaer directed considerable effort toward improving relations with the United States of America. The relationship between these two rising superpowers brought cooperation on several fronts, including the exchange of technology.
Moreover, Prussia’s prestige throughout the world improved greatly during the decade, and experts began once more predicting a grand future for Prussia which had by no means been certain (or even seriously considered) throughout the 1860s.
