Congress of Vienna (1814-1815)

The Congress of Vienna (1814-1815)

• A conference involving representatives of different European states, and aimed to reorganize Europe after the Napoleonic Wars
• Key figures included Emperor Franz I and Prince von Metternich of Austria, King Friedrich Wilhelm III and Prince von Hardenberg of Prussia, Tsar Alexander I of Russia, Viscount Castlereagh of England, Foreign Minister Talleyrand of France, and representatives of the secondary European states
• They feared the principles and ideas of the French Revolution, opposing liberal ideas of democratic government
• Following many years of war since 1792, Europe needed peace
• A balance of power and a ring of strong states around France were created to maintain peace
• The changes brought stability and peace to central Europe for the next 50 years

Germany and the Congress of Vienna: Disappointed Hopes

• The Congress strengthened Prussia to guard against future threats from France
• The Rhineland and Westphalia became Prussian provinces, turning the area into a major industrial center
• Prussia became the most influential state in Germany as a result
• Instead of a unified Germany, the Congress created the German Confederation in 1815
• The Confederation included 39 states: Austria, Prussia, Bavaria, Wurtemberg, Saxony, Hanover, smaller duchies, tiny principalities, and the free cities of Hamburg, Bremen, Lübeck, and Frankfurt-on-Main
• The borders in central Europe were altered from the mosaic of the Holy Roman Empire, which consisted of over 300 small independent states
• German nationalists desired a unified Germany, but it was not created

The German Confederation - A Police State?

• The German Confederation was a loose political union of 39 independent states with no central government
• The Federal Diet in Frankfurt-on-Main considered common laws
• The states were ruled by absolute monarchs with the exception of Wurtemberg, Baden, and the four self-governing cities
• States maintained individual laws, defenses, and taxes
• Hopes for a unified and democratic Germany were unfulfilled

Universal Student's Union

• University students were the most vocal about unification and liberty
• They formed patriotic groups known as Universal Students' Unions
• They called for German unity and democratic reforms at the Wartburg Festival in October 1817

Prince Metternich Biography

• Prince Klemens Metternich (1773-1859) was an Austrian diplomat, politician, and statesman
• He became Austrian Foreign Minister after Austria's defeat by Napoleon in 1809
• By 1821, he was Chancellor and dominated Austrian and European affairs until the 1840s
• He believed monarchy was ideal and that the nobility had an important part to play

Carlsbad Decrees

• Following the assassination of conservative writer August von Kotzebue by student Karl Ludwig Sand in March 1819, Prince Metternich convinced German Confederation princes that the political order was in peril
• The Carlsbad Decrees, a series of measures, were then implemented
• Under University Law §2, confederated governments pledged to remove teachers whose ideas were harmful or undermined governmental institutions
• Under University Law §3, laws against secret and unauthorized societies were strictly enforced, especially against the Universal Students' Union
• Under Press Law §1, publications appearing daily or serially exceeding twenty sheets required state approvalprior to publishing

Investigating Law

• Investigating Law §2 established an Investigating Committee charged with investigating revolutionary and demagogical associations that were a threat to the existing constitution and internal peace of the union and its individual states

Congress of Vienna

• Did not produce a national unity in Germany
• Did not produce democratic governments in the German states.

German Confederation

• It created many different states and established a new, stronger Westphalia

University Students

• Responded to demands

August von Kotzebue

• Was assasinated

Carlsbad Decrees

• Made it illegal for professors to teach certain things
• Made it illegal for students to spread or listen to certain things
• Made it illegal for everybody to believe in these things

The Crisis of the 1840's

• Prior to 1850, Germany was predominantly a country of villages and farms where most people worked on the land
• Factories driven by machinery were few and concentrated in Saxony and the Prussian part of the Rhineland
• Limited employment opportunities outside agriculture & cheaper British goods led to declining wages and living standards

Revolt in Silesia (1844)

• 3,000 handloom weavers attacked bookkeepers and destroyed employers' homes in response to exploitation and wage cuts
• The Prussian government sent the military to crush the protests, and the weavers received long prison sentences

Crop Failures (1845-1847)

• Poor harvests led to dramatically rising food prices and starvation, especially in the spring of 1847
• Private organizations and churches attempted to aid the starving population
• Government assistance was limited and often late, resulting in violent food riots
• 50-60% of the Prussian population was on the edge of starvation in 1846

More Power to the People?

• By 1848, the educated middle class (lawyers, doctors, journalists, teachers, civil servants) and wealthy businessmen felt dissatisfied due to their lack of power and influence in politics
• Liberal and national sentiments grew, along with calls for political representation
• Some Democrats demanded a republic with an elected head of state
• Only a minority believed that lower-class people (peasants, craftsmen, industrial workers) should have the right to vote

The Revolution of 1848

• February 1848 in Paris: Protests against the King in Paris
• Followed by citizens rising up against their rulers across Europe
• Germany: The problem at that point was a lack of a united state
• Revolution in Germany: Started in Mannheim
• March Demands: Included press freedom, freedom of assembly, no arbitrary arrests, public trials, arming of the people, civil rights, a national parliament, higher wages, lower food prices, a unified Germany, and an end to feudalism
• Rulers' Reactions: Some promised things

Revolution Continued

• March Ministries: Established to carry out the demands, and they contained political power, and lasted only a year in office
• Prussia and Austria: These states were crucial for the revolution's progress
• Rulers' Reactions: They promised reforms, and some stepped back
• Turning Point in Prussia: A battle
• Frankfurt Parliament: It was meant to advise on the formation of Germany
• The Frankfurt Parliament members consisted of men from the age of 24 or above, that were 75% self employed.
• May 18, 1848: A freely elected German parliament met

The National Assembly in St. Paul's Church

• Meeting in Frankfurt-on-Main on May 18, 1848, with the aim of planning a unified and democratic Germany that included a central government, liberal constitution, and list of civil rights.
• Discussions: The drafting of basic civil rights was most important, which extended up until December of 1848.

Discussions on the Future German Constitution

• Took place starting in Fall of 1848, included topics such as:
• Should the new Germany be a hereditary monarchy, elected monarchy, or a republic?
• Should Austria be included or excluded?
• Should there be independent states vs. a strong central government?

Failure of the Revolution

• On March 28, 1849, the National Assembly passed the draft of the constitution; the new Germany would be a constitutional monarchy, headed by the King of Prussia (Kaiser - Emperor)
• On April 2, 1849, a delegation met with Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV and was offered the crown for the new, but was rejected because he believed he was king "by the grace of God" and did not want the "consent of the governed", so the National Assembly was dissolved

The Aims the Assembly Was Planning to Reach.

• Unified Germany
• Democratic Germany
• Central government
• Civil rights

Publication of the Catalogue of Civil Rights

• The catalogue of civil rights was published in 1848

Main points of discussion concerning the constitution

• Would the new Germany be a hereditary monarchy, an elected monarch, or a republic?
• If Austria would be included in creation of "Greater Germany", or excluded in a "Little Germany", with Prussia as the leading state?
• If the new Germany was going to be a federation of independent states or have a strong central government?

Difference Between Greater and Little Germany

• Greater Germany was to include Austria
• Smaller Germany was to exclude Germany

Type of State Representatives Agreed On

• Constitutional Monarchy

Friedrich Wilhelm IV

• Rejected the Crown that was offered to him as he was the King of Prussia by the grace of god and didn't feel he needed the consent of the governed.

Consequence of Rejection

• The National assembly slowly dissolved.

The push factors for wanting to leave Germany.

• There was an unchanged life in Germany
• Germany was not very civilized
• Germany was not very cultured

The pull factors to the U.S.

• Farmland and homes were at an acceptable price
• German schools and churches already existed
• There was a better life
• It was very safe