Chapter 36, Choice Matters

With the decline of the Kingdom of Prussia, the once formidable Junker aristocracy was inevitably also headed towards decline.

In fact, the decline of the Junker nobility was not just due to defeats in wars; even after losses, they remained the largest political force within the Kingdom of Prussia.

The real reason for the decline of the Junker aristocratic group was the lack of political successors. There was no helping it; too many had died on the battlefield, and there was a shortage of reserve forces.

A direct result of the two Prusso-Russian wars was that fifty-six percent of the Junkers completely lost their lands, and seventeen percent of the noble families died out.

With heavy losses in reserve forces, it was inevitable that important positions in the government previously held by the Junker nobility would need to be vacated.

As one door closes, another opens; as the Junker aristocratic group shrunk, other political forces arose.