Question

we had to avoid wounding austria too severely; we had to avoid leaving behind in her any unnecessary bitterness of feeling or desire for revenge; we ought rather to reserve the possibility of becoming friends again with our adversary of the moment, and in any case to regard the austrian state as a piece on the european chessboard. if austria were severely injured, she would become the ally of france and of every other opponent of ours; she would even sacrifice her anti - russian interests for the sake of revenge on prussia.... the acquisition of provinces like austria silesia and portions of bohemia could not strengthen the prussian state; it would not lead to an amalgamation of german austria with prussia, and vienna could not be governed from berlin as a mere dependency.... austrias conflict and rivalry with us was no more culpable than ours with her; our task was the establishment or foundation of german national unity under the leadership of the king of prussia.
what does bismarck think is the danger in making pieces of german austria part of a unified germany?
a. he thinks that austria would resist unification and weaken a unified germany
b. he thinks that austria would go to war against russia to stop german unification.
c. he thinks that the king of prussia would reject germans from bohemia and silesia.
d. he thinks that the prussian people would never accept bohemians or silesians.

Explanation:

Bismarck argues that severely weakening Austria would push it to ally with Prussia's rivals like France, sacrificing its anti-Russian stance for revenge. He also states absorbing Austrian territories would not strengthen Prussia, as Vienna could not be ruled as a dependency from Berlin, meaning Austria would resist and undermine a unified Germany. The other options are not supported: he does not mention Austria attacking Russia over unification, the Prussian king rejecting the territories, or Prussian people refusing the populations.

Answer:

A. He thinks that Austria would resist unification and weaken a unified Germany.