Quickest and easiest way to form Germany?

[PlayStationControllerEnjoyer]

The title says it all, help me or don't help me?

[Lembley42]

Are we talking about mere Germany or Greater Germany?

[Assuming you are playing Prussia]
Small Germany can be formed either by decision or event (Crown out of the gudder). If you wanna be gamey, you can attack some german minor, hold him annexed until his War Exhaustio n is way up, a few Pan German Nationalists will spawn and let you form Germany. You get not at all territory immiadetly but when you sphere the other german states they should request joining the country after a short while.

Or you do the standard-route ally up with Austria / Russia, then slowly get your spheres (Hannover, Holstein, Denmark, Saxony for NGF + Bavaria, Württemberg, Baden for Germany) from Austria when they're not looking ;) and invade France for Alsaice-Lorraine. But thats takes as long as the thing below and doesnt grant you Austria.

The best and pretty easy way to form Germany is by allying lets say Russia, beat Austria @Humilation, besiege them completely and wait until they drop to Secondary Power Status, then add "Add to Sphere" as wargoal and peace out with both. Now just attack France for Alsaice-Lorraine in the next time and once the truces with the south german minors are other, you can influence them and form Großdeutschland @1842
Sort of requires you being able to beat the AI but since they just follow you into mountains over river with no general attached it should be fairly easy.

If not helpful, specify a little bit :P

[sausages]

1. Form Northern German Federation (NGF) by beating the pulp out of Austria (AUS) in the beginning. You start with Justify war sphering Saxony, then add sphering of Bravia during the war.

2. Attack Denmark by Accquire state of Schleswig-Holstein and then add sphering of Holstein during the war.

3. By now you should have accumulated a bit of infamy so rest a bit and managing the industry development (if you have already switched to Reactionary government that means you can build industry yourself which is the best, otherwise, keep it as intervention is still "ok" as long as you know how to balance it by killing off new Capitalists' projects). Further, after 5 years or so after beating AUS, you can start sphering the rest of the South Germanic.

4. Now, the part "a" is directly referring to your request while part "b" is a better future.

a. Justify war with Accquire state of Alsace-Lorraine on France and go bliz on Paris just like the history while some troops form a defensive line to defend Alsace; for capturing Paris effectively you will need quite a few Calvary for fast occupation; try to build one engineering or two if Paris has a fort for even faster occupation. Now, you should be able to form the historical German Empire.

b.1. Sometimes speed isn't everything because there's something called "Greater Germany". After 5 years of warring againts AUS, you can start another war again. This time, you should Humiliate AUS and do a full occupation even if AUS sue for peace. The point is to decrease AUS industry score and military score as much as possible and hope that AUS will falls out of Greate Power status during the war (which should take 1/2 year after triggering) and then you should be able to add "Add to sphere" goal. If you are unlucky, Hungary will revolt (maybe you can start a war against them??? I can't really remember anymore since it was long time ago)

b.2. After the AUS is pacified, depends on your current infamy, you should annex Luxumburg next. If you try to sphere Luxumburg instead, sometimes it won't join Greater Germany.

b.3. Now rest again and wait for infamy to drop and eventually do 4.a.

Bottom line is that when I read your request, it seems like you might not fully understand all mechanics of Victoria 2, so be careful with the infamy thing.

[Lembley42]

Shortly before you form Germany, you can bring your Infamy down to zero by just release a bunch of nations which you will then get back once you enacted the formation of Germany btw

[sausages]

Originally posted by Lembley42:

Shortly before you form Germany, you can bring your Infamy down to zero by just release a bunch of nations which you will then get back once you enacted the formation of Germany btw

Oh ya thanks for this info, I forgot to add that; too bad NGF doesn't have an event to form SGF; otherwise that will be a very good ally.