Events Flashcards
Revolution of 1848
- news of overthrow of french monarchy in revolution of 1848 led to unrest in germany
- local revolts broke out, reflecting different discontents
- peasant unrest widespread, attacks on landowners and tax officials
- some revolts inspired by socialist ideals and desire for republic
- calls for more power to be given to assemblies in many states
AUSTRIA: DISTURBANCES LED TO FALL OF METTERNICH AND HIS FLIGHT TO BRITAIN IN MARCH
PRUSSIA: MARCH DAYS. WIDESPREAD DEMOS = 200+ DEMONSTRATORS KILLED BY TROOPS. prussian king frederick william iv gave way under pressure and accepted many demands
- unrest forced similar concessions in other german states
- meeting of delegates from various german states in late march to arrange new national constitutional assembly at frankfurt
- hopes were not realised. divisions soon appeared among revolutionaries and a conversvative reaction developed
- mid class began to fear popular unrest
AUSTRIA: power of emperor restored by loyal troops
PRUSSIA: when revolutionary impulse subsided, the prussian king was able to regain control and troops restored royal authority in october.
Tsar of Russia gave his support to restoration of Habsburg control in eastern europe.
Austria strong enough to prevent new german union, by 1850 the old german confederation was restored, many liberals were exiled or imprisoned.
What were the initial responses of the German states to the 1848 Revolutions?
- Many citizens in German states met together to demand a Bill of Rights and even greater powers for the assembly
- Due to the strong support, most rulers gave in to these “March demands”
- In Bavaria royal troops suppressed these demands, but due to king Ludwig I’s unpopular mistress he was forced to abdicate
- King of Saxony Frederick August II accepted change peacefully in 1848 and the Saxon government resigned in March 18848 after demands for change
- Liberal Karl Braun introduced the abolition of censorship, the reform of the franchise, reform of the judiciary, the regulation of clubs, societies, associations, and having the army swear an oath on the Constitution
- It wasn’t until May 1849 that there were violent clashes in the capital Dresden
- In Prussia, King Frederick William IV also made initial concessions
- Metternich’s control suddenly collapsed and the mainstay of princely power in Germany was removed.
- A middle class Civic Guard was created to maintain order
- There was more acceptance of German nationalism
Why did the Frankfurt Parliament collapse?
The body was unrepresentative, there were internal divisions, there was limited appeal, they relied way to much on Prussia and its army.
Why would an unrepresentative body contribute to the collapse of the Frankfurt parliament?
CREATED DIVISION AND LIMITED APPEAL
- majority was educated middle class professionals
- limited rep from both manufacturing and trading interests and landed proprieters and peasants
- even though 70%+ germans weren’t bourgeois urban dwellers
Why would divisions contribute to the collapse of the Frankfurt parliament?
SET UP FOR FAILURE AND LIMITED APPEAL
- no fundamental agreement on what the new german state would be
- some advocated a greater germany including austria and some of its empire but not hungary
- catholic south had more in common with austria than the protestant north
- other solution was a smaller germany excluding austria but would mean dominance of prussia
Why would limited appeal contribute to the collapse of the Frankfurt parliament?
NO POPULAR SUPPORT = NO POWER
- assembly offered little for the mass of germans especially peasants
- revolution lacked popular support
- mid class delegates supported property rights, abolition of feudal dues was accompanied by compensation for owners
- little acceptance of demands for state intervention to protect workers, or protective tariffs to avoid cheap foreign farm imports that the peasants and landowners wanted
Why would overreliance on Prussia and its army contribute to the collapse of the Frankfurt parliament?
Due to how uncoordinated the Frankfurt Parliament had become, it was becoming weaker. When King Frederick William IV of Prussia rejected the position of emperor of a new united Germany and their obvious reliance on Prussia’s army, the parliament looked like an increasingly weak, unprotected assembly.
How and why was Austria able to reassert her power?
By the summer of 1849, Austria was strong enough to resume her domination of Germany
- had strong and victorious armies which defeated nationalism in the Czech lands, Poland, Hungary and Italy
- had military support of Russia and its powerful army and reactionary ruler
- faced a divided Germany whose main attempt at the creation of a rival german state had failed
- only possible rival was Prussia but the Prussian armed forces weren’t strong enough to resist Austrian pressure
Prussian conservatives wouldn’t have supported any conflict with Austria and the Prussian king was not a dominant or decisive figure
What was the “Humiliation of Olmutz” and why was it named that?
The “Humiliation of Olmutz” was the outcome of Prussia abandoning the Erfurt Union, which caused the collapse of it. It was described as this because it was at the conference in the town of Olmutz where Prussia announced that it had demobilised its forces and accepted the restoration of the bund, and gave the impression that Prussia had given into Austrian pressure.
Austria had opposed the Erfurt Union, and Russia backed Austria in their opposition, and due to Prussia being the Union’s only major supporter once they left the Union would collapsse under the combined forces of Austria and Russia.
What economic developments happened after 1849 and the Zollverein?
- Gradual emergence of large-scale industry in Germany
- Steam engine capacity increased from 229 000 units of horsepower to 850 000
- cotton production went from 900 000 spindles to 2.2 million
- Mechanization of textile mills and coal mines
- Improved transport with the construction of railroads, steamships, and better roads and canals
- Banks willing to lend money and support enterprises
What were the significance of those economic developments?
- due to the demand for factory workers increasing, more and more people started to move into cities, creating mass urbanisation
- due to the easier transport, movement of workers and greater interchange of products between regions the barriers between them began to break down and greater unity of Germany began to form
- The economic change had caused the proletariat numbers to double between 1848 and the 1860s
