HIST2086 Bismarck: The Iron Chancellor

1. HIST2086Bismarck: The Iron Chancellor Prussia’s ‘New Era’ and Bismarck ’s appointment to Minister-President, 1861-2 Lecture 9 5 October 2010

2. The ‘New Era’ • Crown prince William as regent for his mentally ill brother Frederick William IV, Oct 1858, since Jan 1861: William I., King of Prussia • New cabinet + reform-oriented policy but no commitment to liberalism • Great success for Left liberals at Prussian Diet election, Nov 1861: 48 (1855) → 151 seats ≠ Conservatives: 181 (1855) → 47 seats: Left Liberals + Right Liberals: ca. 200 seats = absolute majority in Prussian Diet

3. Prussia’s deadlock (1) • ‘New Era’ government unsuccessful: • Foreign policy: Proposal to create German federal state under Prussia’s leadership with Austria only connected by international law strongly rejected by Austria + 7 German larger states • Domestic policy: Proposals with more liberal ideas rejected by highly-conservative Junker- dominated House of Lords (Herrenhaus)

4. Prussia’s deadlock (2) • Liberals: Deadlock exploited to press King + government for further reforms → British-style parliamentary monarchy as final goal • Conservatives: Deadlock exploited to press King + government to stop reforms → Preservation of traditional political system as final goal

5. Constitutional Crisis (1) King’s + War Minister Roon’s military reform plan, Feb 1860: • To bring army on equal footing with other powers → Prussia: 140.000 – France: 400.000 – Austria: 310.000 - Russia: 1 million troops by expansion up to 200.000 troops • To reduce and abolish territorial units (Landwehr) of 50,000 untrained soldiers

6. Constitutional Crisis (2) • Military reform rejected by Liberals: • To oppose abolition of Landwehr = Symbol of civilians in uniform ≠ Junker’s army • To block government by denying budget for reform → ‘Temporary’ grants only • To get influence on King’s prerogative in military matters • To enforce political development into British-style parliamentary monarchy

7. Constitutional Crisis (3) • Split of Liberals, 1861: → Foundation of left-liberal Progressive Party (Fortschrittspartei) demanding fast reforms • Prussian Diet elections, 1861 → P.P.: 119 seats: Absolute majority of liberal camp = 260 of 352 seats ► Disaster for King, government, army ► Dissolution of Diet + new elections = Prussian Diet elections, 1862 →Newabsolute majority of liberal camp = 292 of 353 seats

8. Constitutional Crisis (4) • Possible options for King: 1) Permanent dissolution of Diet = Break of constitution 2) New government compromising with Diet = Defeat of King 3) Bismarck government to struggle with Diet ► King’s ‘tactical’ announcement to abdicate to break resistance of Queen + crown prince against Bismarck’s appointment ► Bismarck’s appointment to minister president on 8 Oct 1862 after showing readiness to govern even in opposition to the constitution and the Diet

9. Constitutional Crisis (5) • Strong support of king absolutely necessary in Bismarck’s domestic struggle • Liberals interested in continuing + intensifying constitutional crisis → Closing of diet by king + Bismarck’s announcement of ‘governing without a budget’ → Bismarck’s theory of the ‘gap’ (Lückentheorie), 1862-66: “In absence of clear definition of a disputed point, the interest of state must prevail”

10. Bismarck’s foreign politics (1) Polish national rebellion vs. Russian rule (Jan 1863): • Reaction to systematic ‘Russification’ of Congress PL + strive for independent PL • Strongly supported by Napoleon III: To weaken Russia + to make PL ally of F

11. Bismarck’s foreign politics (2) Russia undecided: • Tsarist group: Suppression of Poles • Korsakov group: Liberate Poles + alliance with F Bismarck strongly opposed to independent PL: • Fear of F’s satellite state at eastern border • Possible Two-Front-War for Prussia • Possible Polish claims on Posen (Prussia’s part of PL) Austria as multi-national Habsburg Empire: • Fear of any national movements + uprisings Britain opposed to F’s political expansion in Europe

12. Bismarck’s foreign politics (3) → Convention of Alvensleben (Feb 1863) = Promise of Prussia (Bismarck) + Russia (tsarist group) to cooperate vs. any revolutions ► Korsakov’s pro-French-Polish group totally defeated: No alliance between Russia + France ► Bismarck’s major diplomatic success: Strongly criticised by Prussia’s pro-Polish Liberals = First crucial precondition for Prussia’s future offensives in Central Europe

13. National question (1) Austria’s initiative to ‘reform German Confederation’ (Aug 1863): • Re-strengthening Austria’s position in GC • Overplaying Prussia + dominating ‘Third Germany’ • Uniting Germany by monarchical alliances + joint deputy chamber staffed by single German states • Circumventing German national-liberal movement + idea of creating German national parliament

14. National question (2) Bismarck’s 3 crucial preconditions for agreeing to Austria’s reform initiative: • Strict parity of Prussia-Austria in GC chairmanship • Prussia’s power of veto in case of declarations-of- war by GC • Directly-elected national parliament instead of deputy chamber (strongly supported by German national-liberal movement)

15. National question (3) Results: • ‘Third Germany’not prepared to close ranks with Austria without Prussia → No reform of GC • Bismarck successful: Austria forced to change politics vs. Prussia + to search for common interests with Prussia = Second crucial precondition for Prussia’s future offensives in Central Europe