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HIST2086 Bismarck: The Iron Chancellor

HIST2086 Bismarck: The Iron Chancellor. First Steps to German Unification: From Wartburg Festival to Zollverein, and Frankfurt Parliament, 1817-49 Lecture 6 21 September 2010. Burschenschaft. Policy of restoration by German Confederation = ‘ Metternich system’

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HIST2086 Bismarck: The Iron Chancellor

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  1. HIST2086Bismarck: The Iron Chancellor First Steps to German Unification: From Wartburg Festival to Zollverein, and Frankfurt Parliament, 1817-49 Lecture 6 21 September 2010

  2. Burschenschaft • Policy of restoration by German Confederation = ‘ Metternich system’ → Biedermeier period: Liberal ideas rejected by nobility, officials, bourgeoisie ↓ • Establishment of German Burschenschaft, 1815 = Student associations: Imperial colours of black, red, gold + ‘honour, freedom, fatherland

  3. Wartburg Festival, 1817 • Public burning of German Confederation constitution at Wartburg Castle by Burschenschaft • Alleged murdering of poet Kotzebue by student → Karlsbad Decrees: • Prohibition of Burschenschaft • Persecution of ‘demagogues’ • Control of press + universities = Suppression of national movement by police-state methods

  4. Economic Agreements • 1819 Commercial and Crafts Union (Handels- und Gewerbeverein) by national economist Friedrich List • 1828 Customs Union: Prussia + Hesse-Darmstadt ≠ Central German Customs Union of 7 German states • = Strong interest of Prussia to overcome disadvantage of scattered territory by trade agreements

  5. Zollverein (Customs Union), 1834Prussia + most German states but not Austria • Net Value of Production in Gulden, 1840s

  6. Customs Union: Myth + Reality = An immediate step to German unification?But: • No ‘national’ intention but predominantly economic reasons • Earlier resistance due to structural difficulties, not to Austrian negative influence = A ‘side confederation’ to German Confederation dominated by Prussia (but not by Austria as GC) = Strong integrating influence on CU members who gave up substantial parts of sovereignty = A kind of substitute for lacking national unity

  7. March Revolution 1848 • Consequence of French uprising against king + proclamation of French republic → Germany: demonstrations, calls for freedom of assembly + of press, trial by jury • Radical stream: ‘Democratic Republic’ • Moderate stream: ‘National Assembly’ • = Both aimed for national unification

  8. Constituent National Assembly, 1848-9‘Frankfurt Parliament’ • 223 members of legal profession • 106 professors • 46 industrialists • 4 craftsmen • No peasants • Pre-form of political parties: Conservative Right Liberal Centre (Right Centre + Left Centre) Democratic Left

  9. The National Problem Decisive split of Frankfurt Parliament into: • ‘Great Germans’: 1) Favoured federation incl. all Austria under Habsburg dynasty 2) Favoured unitary-democratic republic incl. only German-Austria • ‘Small Germans’: Favoured nation state under Hohenzollern dynasty excl. Austria

  10. Downfall of National Assembly • Imperial constitution drafted, March 1849 • Rejection of imperial crown by Prussian King Frederick William IV, April 1849 • Dissolution of National Assembly by troops, June 1849 = Failure due to dual front against: • Democratic-social revolutionary forces • Conservative German states

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