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 have to keep the possibility of becoming friends again with our enemy for 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 [Germany]; she would even sacrifice her anti-Russian interests for the sake of revenge on Prussia. . . .The gaining of provinces like Austria Silesia and portions of Bohemia could not strengthen the Prussian state; it would not lead to an merger of German Austria with Prussia, and Vienna, Austria could not be governed from Berlin, Germany as a mere dependency. . . .Austria's conflict and rivalry with us was no guiltier than ours with her; our task was the establishment or foundation of German national unity under the leadership of the King of Prussia.
1. According to Bismarck, why didn’t Prussia want to injure Austria “too severely”?
2. Who was the leader for German unity?
1. Prussia did not want to injure Austria too severely in order to avoid leaving behind any unnecessary bitterness or desire for revenge, and to keep the possibility of becoming friends again with Austria in the future.
2. The King of Prussia was the leader for German unity according to Bismarck.