北德意志邦聯（德語：Norddeutscher Bund）於德意志邦聯解散後，在1867年成立，有德國北方二十二個邦國組成。它其實衹是一個過渡組織，在1871年德意志帝國成立後便被廢除。但是，它幫助普魯士控製德國北部，加強她對南德邦國的影響力，猶如關稅同盟一樣。邦聯明顯地排除了奧地利與巴伐利亞。
邦聯在普奧戰爭後成立。普魯士擊敗奧地利後，奧托·馮·俾斯麥創立北德憲法。憲法在1867年7月1日生效。普王威廉一世出任邦聯主席，首相俾斯麥兼任邦聯首相。所有德意志邦國在聯邦議會 (Bundesrat) 都有議席，普魯士獨占十七席。北德議會 (Norddeutscher Reichstag) 就是由民選産生。
普法戰爭後，巴伐利亞、符騰堡與巴登 (連同黑森公國的剩餘部分) 與邦聯合併，組成德意志帝國。威廉一世成為德意志皇帝。
郵政
邦聯其中一個功能，就是由1868年1月1日開始，處理邦國的郵政事務及發行郵票。邦聯在北部省份發行新貨幣Groschen，配合衆邦國不同的貨幣係統。南部省份就用Kreuzer。兩種貨幣的幣值上有不同圖案，以作識別。它們都被稱為Norddeutscher Postbezirk。
漢堡推出一款特別的quarter-schilling郵票，稱為Stadtpostbrief Hamburg。
1872年1月1日，新發行的德意志帝國郵票取代邦聯郵票。
成員邦
* 普魯士，包括勞恩堡
* 薩剋森
* 梅剋倫堡-什未林
* 薩剋森-威瑪-艾森納赫
* 梅剋倫堡-斯特雷利茨
* 奧爾登堡
* 布倫瑞剋
* 薩剋森-邁寧根
* 薩剋森-阿爾滕堡
* 薩剋森-科堡-哥達
* 安哈爾特
* 施瓦茨堡-魯道爾斯塔特
* 施瓦茨堡-桑德豪森
* 瓦爾德剋 (Waldeck)
* 羅伊斯-格瑞茨
* 羅伊斯-施萊茨-格拉
* 紹姆堡-利泊
* 利泊
* 呂貝剋
* 不來梅
* 漢堡
* 黑森公國在美因河以北的部分，亦即上黑森省 (Oberhessen)
The North German Confederation (German: Norddeutscher Bund), came into existence in August 1866 as a military alliance of 22 states of northern Germany with the Kingdom of Prussia as the leading state. In July 1867 it was transformed into a federal state. It provided the country with a constitution and was the building block of the German Empire, which adopted most parts of the federation's constitution and its flag.
Unlike the earlier German Confederation, the North German Confederation was in fact a true state. Its territory comprised the parts of the German Confederation north of the river Main, plus Prussia's eastern territories and the Duchy of Schleswig, but excluded Austria, Bavaria, Württemberg, Baden and the southern parts of the Grand Duchy of Hesse.
It cemented Prussian control over northern Germany, and emanated that same control via the Zollverein (Customs Union) and secret peace treaties (agreed with the southern states the day before the Peace of Prague) into southern Germany.
Although it ceased to exist after the creation of the German Empire in 1871, the federation was the building block for the German constitution adopted that year. This constitution granted immense powers to the new chancellor, Otto von Bismarck who was appointed by the President of the Bundesrat (Prussia). This was because the constitution made the chancellor 'responsible,' however not accountable, to the Reichstag. This therefore allowed him the benefit of being the link between the emperor and the people. The Chancellor retained powers over the military budget, after the constitutional crisis that engulfed Wilhelm I in 1862. Laws also prevented certain civil servants becoming members of the Reichstag, those who were Bismarck's main opposition in the 1860's.
The federation came into being after Prussia defeated Austria and the other remaining states of the German Confederation in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. Otto von Bismarck created the constitution, which came into force on 1 July 1867, with the King of Prussia, William I, as its President, and Bismarck as Chancellor. The states were represented in the Bundesrat (Federal Council) with 43 seats (of which Prussia held 17). Most notably, Bismarck introduced universal male suffrage into the confederation for elections to the Reichstag. The Bundesrat membership was extended before 1871 with the creation of the Zollverein Parliament in 1867, an attempt to create closer unity with the southern states by permitting representatives to be sent to the Bundersrat.
Following Prussia's victory over the Second French Empire and the subsequently formed Third Republic in the Franco-Prussian War of 1871, Bavaria, Württemberg, and Baden (together with parts of the Grand Duchy of Hesse which had not originally joined the federation), unified with the states of the Federation to form the German Empire, with William I taking the new title of German Emperor (rather than Emperor of Germany as Austria was not included).
