Liberalism and Nationalism in Germany

Flashcards on Liberalism and Nationalism in Germany

Who was the most significant individual at the Congress of Vienna and the Austrian foreign minister?

Prince Klemens von Metternich

What was the purpose of Metternich's system?

To maintain the rule of absolute monarchies in the Austrian empire and other European states

What was the impact of Napoleon’s invasion on the German States?

Ideas of the enlightenment from the French Revolution began to spread across the German States

Which states were represented at the Congress of Vienna?

Austria, Prussia, Britain, and Russia

What was the German Confederation?

Germany was reorganized into 39 states under Austrian control.

What powers did the Diet in Frankfurt have?

The diet controlled the foreign policies of the member states, but the individual rulers continue to manage their own internal affairs and the confederation never develop a strong identity of its own.

Who consisted of the educated middle class?

business people and professionals such as lawyers

What did the middle class want?

constitutional monarchies, free speech, free press, fair trials, and free trade.

Who supported German national unity?

literate, professional people and student associations (Burschenschaften).

What did the Carlsbad Decrees entail?

University teaching programmes monitored; liberal teachers removed from posts; student organisations dissolved; censorship of newspapers; investigating committee established in Mainz to root out liberal and nationalist ideas

What was the impact of the 1830 revolution in Paris?

establishment of a parliamentary monarchy under King Louis Philippe

What did the Six Articles, June 1832 enforce?

Limiting the rights of elected assemblies in states which had constitutions and declared the supremacy of federal law over the laws of individual states

What was the Zollverein?

a customs union of German states formed by Prussia by 1834

What were the disagreements over the frontiers of a German state?

‘Large Germany’ – would include, and be dominated by, Austria and ‘Small Germany’ – would exclude Austria and be dominated by Prussia

Why did revolution break out in Germany?

middle-class liberals wanted political reform

What happened in March 1848?

representatives of six states at Heidelberg – summoning of a Vorparlament (pre- parliament) in Frankfurt to create a national constituent assembly or parliament whose role would be to draw up a constitution for a united Germany

What were the initial responses of the German States to the 1848–49 Revolutions?

Most states made short-term concessions and then State rulers then reasserted their authority

What were the Weaknesses of the revolutions?

divisions of revolutionary movement: liberals wanted moderate constitutional reform, radicals wanted major political changes, middle-class and working-class aims differed

What was the recovery of Austrian monarchy

Austria and Prussia helped restore monarchies in other German states

What did the North German Confederation entail?

the establishment of Federal Council (Bundesrat) and Parliament (Reichstag)

What was the end result of the Treaty of Prague, 1866?

Bismarck’s lenient treatment of Austria and Prussia took over Hesse-Cassel, Nassau, Hanover, Frankfurt and Schleswig-Holstein

What Economic developments happened after 1849?

Economic developments after 1849: the growth of industrialisation and the Zollverein

What were the Reasons for Bismarck’s appointment as Minister President?

Wilhelm I wanted to reform Prussian army which would require tax increases

How did Bismarck impact Prussian politics?

Solved army reform issue by collecting taxes without parliamentary agreement

What was the War with Denmark 1864?

Dispute over Schleswig-Holstein; Prussia and Austria joined forces against Denmark

What happened during the War with Austria, 1866?

Bismarck sought foreign allies to isolate Austria - agreement with Napoleon III of France and agreement with Italy

What was Bismarcks diplomacy towards France?

France - concerned over Prussian expansion made alliances with Austria and Russia

What was Bismarck’s manipulation of the Ems telegram?

Bismarck edited the telegram from Wilhelm I to the French Ambassador to make it seem as though the Kaiser had insulted Napoleon III

What was the result of the Outbreak of war against France, July 1870?

Napoleon III declared war, which united southern German states with North German Confederation

Reasons for the Prussian victory in the Franco–Prussian War (1870–71)?

France was isolated and seen as the aggressor, Prussian military superiority, rapid mobilisation, French military inefficiencies and most of the war fought on French territory

What was the Creation of the German Empire (1871)?

Germany united (with Austria excluded) under Prussian domination and Bismarck made concessions to encourage southern states to join with Prussia

What was the treatment of France?

harsh peace terms – e.g. reparations and Alsace and Lorraine ceded to Germany

What was the Constitution of the new Reich?

modelled on that of North German Confederation and ensured the dominance of Prussia