Prussia

Prussia was a state within Germany, just of one of twenty five. However, Prussia had a special position within Germany. Prussia itself took up over half of the territory in Germany and contained two thirds of the population of Germany. Therefore, Prussia was a significant state within Germany.

Historically, Prussia had always had strong military leaders and the army swore their loyalty to the Kaiser. This meant that much of the direction of Germany's strategy was dominated by Prussian ambitions. This resulted in a foreign policy which focussed on expansion of Germany.

Prussia’s special status hindered the development of democracy in Germany as the military and other armed forces were highly respected by those in government.