German unificatio
German unificatioAt the end of the eighteenth century and up to 1814, Germany was under the power of Napoleon's French empire. Napoleon created the Confederation of the Rhine, a conglomeration of the fractured north German states. This was the first time that these states had been brought together and as a result a rise in German nationalism began in all the northern states. When Napoleon was defeated in the battle of Leipzig by a coalition of Russia, Prussia, Britain and Austria, the Confederation collapsed.
The Congress of Vienna
The defeat of Napoleon brought about the beginning of the Congress of Vienna. The Congress was called in order to restore the balance of power in Europe and also to ensure that France could never again expand outside of its original pre-war borders. The countries that had participated in the coalition in the battle of Leipzig (Russia, Prussia, Britain and Austria) were the major players at the congress. Lands that were originally parts of the French empire were doled out to the major powers in a way that would make sure that no power became too large. The Grand Duchy of Warsaw was divided between Prussia, Russia, and Austria, but Prussia traded their land in Poland for Saxony (from Russia). The other powers became nervous about the growing power of Prussia, so Prussia, under the threat of a coalition against it, took only 2/5 of Saxony thereby keeping the balance of power intact. The Congress then created the German Confederation, similar to the Confederation of the Rhine, which was placed under the administrative power of Austria. After the Congress of Vienna, the four major powers began the first European Council where they would meet and discuss the keeping of peace in Europe, much like the current United Nations.
Conservatism and the Revolution of 1848
In the period following the Congress of Vienna, the liberal ideas that had begun under Napoleon's rule were squelched under the Metternich system, a conservative reactionary system instated by Klemens von Metternich, an Austrian prince. The nationalism that had begun to rise when the Confederation of the Rhine was discouraged by the conservatives and any movement to unify Germany was put down. The overbearing policy of the Metternich system initially put down liberal ideas but after years of this oppresiveness, liberal ideas began to surface again.
In the German states, violent uprisings of peasants and liberals began, sparked by the strong desire for reform among the various peoples (the educated, the wealthy, the peasants, etc.). The princes of the individual states, unprepared for what occurred, granted parliaments and constitutions to the people, appointing liberal ministries and ending feudal dues along the way. The liberal revolutionaries created the National Assembly, which had the goal of unifying Germany as a liberal, constitutional state. In May of 1848, The National Assembly (or the Frankfurt Assembly) was called together in Frankfurt to prepare for this "unification". After disagreements between Prussia and Austria, Prussia decided to try to unify...
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