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Kleindeutschland (literally "Small Germany") was a 19th century political idea postulating the idea of a unified Germany led by Hohenzollern Prussia, with Berlin as capital, and excluding the Austrian Empire. It stands in contrast to the idea of an Austrian led Grossdeutschland (Greater Germany) with capital Vienna.
The German parliament elected after the early successes of the revolution of 1848 favoured a greater Germany led by Prussia.
Kleindeutschland was realized (after the Austro-Prussian Dualism had been decided in favor of Prussia in 1866) in 1871.
During the Third Reich, this policy was effectively reversed by Hitler's Anschluss (annexation) of AustriaAustria is a landlocked country in Central Europe, a federation of nine states. Austria is bordered by Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the, when the German State (Deutsches Reich) was renamed Grossdeutches Reich, partly in recognition of the earlier idea.