1870/71년 독일통일과 연방제헌법

The Unification of Germany of 1990 was a Reunification, because German history had already experienced Unification which accomplished in the form of a modern national state in 1870/71. Undoubtedly, either case of Unification can be helpful for the country like Korea which pursuits National Unification under unstable and unpredictable conditions. I think the earlier case, the German Unification of 1870/71, can provide more lessons to future Korean Unification issue for the characteristic similarities as the first modern national state unification. This article mainly handles and encompasses details on the process of the Unification of Germany in 1870/71 and then, the analysis of the structure of the Federalism and its later transformation in the Constitution of German Kaiserreich. I’ve also explained discussions of that time quarrelling over the right perspective of the Federalism in Kaiserreich Constitution and lastly have tried to suggest some implications on our own situation. The Unification of Germany in 1870/71 was an integration of the political entities showing considerable disparity in power. It first had formed a federation with confederative elements affected by political circumstances, then had gradually transformed into a centralized federal state in the end. Ironically, however, the ultimate meaning of Unification lies beyond the political field. It lies in the formation of one real social community (Lebensgemeinschaft) of societies originally separated. Thus the lesson from the Unification of Germany in 1870/71 would be that economical integration preceded a political unification itself and the approaching method toward unification was pragmatic in bridging the gap between the ideal and the reality.