German Unification Chapter 2 Flashcards
What were the causes of the 1848 Revolutions?
Economic And Social Problems
How did Increasing Population cause the 1848 Revolutions
Since the middle of the 18th century Germany’s population had grown dramatically, doubling in the century up to 1848
The rise was due more to a declining death rate
The result was that some areas found it difficult to sustain their populations
Thus, people left the land and fitted to the towns in search of work or went to other parts of the world, hoping to better themselves
How did the problems in the countryside cause the 1848 Revolution?
- The people who remained in the countryside found life hard
In eastern Prussia, much of the land belonged to the Junkers and was worked by landless peasants
Even in the parts of Germany where the peasants had become tenant farmers rent were high and it was difficult to make a living
How did the Problems in the towns cause the 1848 Revolution?
In most towns, there were insufficient jobs and housing to cope with the influx of migrants from the countryside
Living and working conditions were often atrocious
Even in good times workers were poorly clothed and fed
From the mid-1840s, there was unemployment in many industries.
One Observer reported that unemployed factory workers were living in dirty, camp, and overcrowded accommodation
What economic crisis was there in 1846-7 and how did it cause the revolution?
In 1846 and 1847 the corn harvests were disastrous, and the situation was made worse by a serious outbreak of potato blights
Potatoes were the main item of diet for most German peasants, and failure of the crop meant starvations
There was distress and unrest, and food riots broke out
There were potato blights beforehand, but the increasing population made it far worse
Fall in Supply of Potatoes –> Higher Prices –> Less AD –> Laying off workers –> Unemployment
How did Political Problems cause the 1848 Revolution?
In 1848 power lay where it always had - with the nobility who owned the land, filled senior government jobs, and officered the infiltration by the middle classes
Middle-class Germans were critical of systems that excluded them from participation in the political process, and in which they were restrained from police
Many of the dissatisfied middle classes wanted the establishment of some form of the parliamentary system and the guarantee of basic civil rights
What was the situation like in early 1848?
In 1848 few Germans expected revolution
There was still widespread loyalty to the established dynasties
Moreover, the economic situation was beginning to improve slightly
Nevertheless, economic distress in the major cities, which continued over the winter of 1847-48, helped to foment revolution
The urban and rural poor, however, did not have a set clear of aims and were often untouched by the radical, liberal, and nationalist ideologies of the middle classes
The course of the Revolutions?
In February 1848 King Louis Philippe was overthrown and a republic was established in France
News OF EVENTS IN France HELPED TO spark a revolution in Austria
On thirteen March THERE WERE MASS DEMONSTRATIONS IN Vienna
The situation got quickly out of hand, especially in working-class areas where there was widespread looting
Metternich fled and the army whose loyalty was suspected was withdrawn from the capital
The city was left in control of radical students and their working-class supporters
Metternich’s fall had a profound effect on most Germans and added fuel to the revolutionary conflagration
What was the situation in Austria and Prussia after the revolution?
Austrian Emperor Ferdinand agreed to summon a constituent assembly, elected by universal suffrage, to draw up a new constitution
What was the declaration of Heidelberg?
In March 1848, at a meeting in Heidelberg, fifty-one representatives from six states
(Prussia, Bavaria, Wurttemberg, Baden, Nassau, and Frankfurt)
discussed changes to Germany’s political institutions
They did so before revolutions had made an impact on the individual German states
What was the Vorparliament?
Following the Declaration of Heidelberg, invitations for a proposed ‘assembly of German men’ were quickly issued
This move, which looked directly to the German people for support, was unexpectedly successful
On 31st March, 574 representatives, from all states of the Confederation, squeezed themselves into the pews of the Pauluskirche in Frankfurt
What did the Vorparliament do?
After 5 days of debate, the Vorparlament members reached an agreement on how to elect a national Parliament that would draw up a constitution for a united Germany
It was decided that the Parliament would meet in Frankfurt
-consist of one representative for every 50k inhabitants
be deleted by citizens, who were of age and economically independent
How were the representatives of the Frankfurt Parliament chosen?
Voters elected ‘electors’, who then chose representatives
The Parliament, which met in Frankfurt in May 1848, did not represent the population as a whole
Most of those elected were prominent figures in the local community
Of the 596 members, the vast majority were middle class There were large numbers of teachers, proffersesors, lawuers and government officials
It was probably the best-educated German Parliament ever
THE Work of the Frankfurt Parliament?
For the momentum, the Parliament filled a power vacuum that had been created by revolutions:
Austria was absorbed in suppressing uprisings throughout its multinational empire
Prussia was in a state of disarray after events in March 1848
The Frankfurt Parliament stated with the advantage that the old Diet of the Confederation, with representatives appointed by new liberal governments, had agreed to its own demise and nominated the Parliament as its legal successor
The key issue was whether the Parliament would be able to draw up a national constitution which could be accepted by all Germans
As well as drawing up a constitution they hoped to agree a series of ‘Basic Rights and Demands:
What were the Series of ‘Basic Rights and Demands:”
- Freedom of the press
- Fair Taxation
- Equality of political rights without regard to religion
- German citizenship for all
