THE 1848 REVOLUTIONS IN THE GERMAN STATES

PRUSSIA

King Frederick William IV – ruled 1840-1861

Autocratic ruler of Prussia

Loyalty to Habsburg royal family and Austria

1847 – Summoned Prussian Landtag (the United Diet) to discuss liberal reforms to the budget/law making

King refused to yield any power

March 1848 – Demonstrations in Berlin – triggered by demonstrations in France against monarchy

King’s troops attempted to break up the demonstration with violence

King ordered troops to leave Berlin

May 1848 – King agreed to the formation of a constituent assembly

Liberal representatives

Nov 1848 – King used force to take back Berlin and to disperse the assembly

Dec 1848 – Frederick created own constitution

Bicameral legislature

Lower House – elected by universal manhood suffrage – wealthy votes weighted more to protect conservative interests

Upper House – reps appointed by the king

AUSTRIA

King Ferdinand I – Habsburg monarchy

Multinational / multiethnic empire

Germans, Magyars, Czechs, Poles, Rumanians, Croats

1848 – Louis Kossuth led movement in Budapest, Hungary – called for constitution for Hungary

Demanded political autonomy

1848 – Student movement in Vienna, Austria

Demanded free speech, free press

March 1848 – Austrian army used force against student demonstration

Ferdinand called off army and removed army from Vienna

Allowed for more liberal constitution

Metternich resigned position and fled to London

Revolts in Vienna and Lombardy (Italian provinces)

Austrian army used to suppress uprisings

March 1848 - Hungarian parliament – adopted March Laws giving Hungary virtual autonomy

Removed labor tax for the peasantry

Ferdinand – gave in to the demands of the liberals in Vienna and Budapest Austrian army occupied in Italian provinces

Prague (Bohemia) – Czechs demanded constitution allowing for greater autonomy – like Hungary Pan Slav Congress called to discuss political position of

Slavic people in Austrian Empire

Vienna, Austria – new constitution adopted

Peasant labor tax removed

Austrian army continued to remain loyal to royal family

Austrian army used to put down rebellion in Prague

Pan Slav Congress dissolved

Oct 1848 – army took back Vienna and ended liberal rebellion

Dec 1848 – Ferdinand abdicated throne in favor of Francis Joseph (son)

More conservative

January 1849 – Austrian army invaded Hungary to end rebellion

Defeated

Tsar Nicholas I of Russia – invaded Hungary in support of Austria and to prevent rebellion in Poland

Hungarian forces defeated

Francis Joseph – more autocratic over empire once rebellions defeated to secure power

Liberalism = revolution

Austrian Constitutional Assembly dissolved and the draft constitution destroyed

THE FRANKFURT PARLIAMENT

Revolutions occurred in most German states

Liberal ministers occupied positions of power in most German state govts

Elections called for an All German National Parliament

Elected by universal manhood suffrage

Inspired by nationalism movement in Europe

Wanted to discuss German unification

May 1848 – 830 elected delegates met at Frankfurt (Free City)

Liberal university educated professional – professors, doctors, lawyers

Drafted the Fundamental Rights of German People – statement of the liberal rights of German citizens

Free speech, press, religion

March 1849 – Drafted constitution for new unified Germany

Debate over unification

Kleindeutsch – “Small Germany” – Prussia and smaller German states

Grossdeutsch – “Large Germany” – Include Austria but not non-German Austrian territory

Francis Joseph I not interested in joining – removed delegates

Kleindeutsch faction gained momentum after removal of Austrian delegates

Remaining delegates offer Crown of Germany to Frederick of Prussia

Refused

Prussian delegates withdrawn

Frankfurt Parliament moved to Stuttgart

Prussia used army to suppress uprisings in Saxony

June 1849 – FP disbanded – no support from Prussia and Austria

AUSTRIA VS. PRUSSIA

1849-1850

1849 – King Frederick William IV – began to lobby other German states to create a formal union of German states with the exclusion of Austria

Make the Zollverein a political union in addition to an economic union (the Erfurt Union)

1850 – Austria opposed Prussia’s attempt at breaking up the German Confederation

Threatened the use of force

Able to threaten Prussia after internal rebellions dealt with

Nov. 1850 – Agreement of Olmütz (“the Humiliation of Olmütz)

Prussia stopped attempting to reorganize the German States in the Erfurt Union – Prussian nationalists hated it

German Confederation re-established with Austria recognized as the primary member