The Collapse of 1848-1849 Were the aims of 1848 unrealistic? Were the existing German governments too strong?

Challenge of Non-German Nationalism There were many reasons for the failure of Frankfurt- including lack of material power The German states had to willingly agree to help defend the parliament’s interest and that included collecting taxes- big issue Direct connection- March 1848 Denmark occupied Schleswig and Holstein Direct connection- 1848 Bohemian declaration of Independence Direct connection- 1848 Posen revolution in Poland Prussia was forced to act in Schleswig and Holstein- accepted an armistice- Frankfurt Parliament had to accept its impotence

Working Class Radicalism Strong challenge to Frankfurt by the undeveloped and incoherent working class movement Working class organization created to solve working class problems Barricades were created in Frankfurt, Baden, Hesse-Cassel and Saxony- only solution was to ask for Prussian and Austrian troops for help The working class organizations: limit on production quotas, restrictions on free trade, protection of guild privileges

Recovery of Prussia Conservatism for the most parts triumphs in Germany due to working class violence and the national issue The other factor is the steady recovery of nerve by the King of Prussia- attempted to abolish all feudal privileges- Junkers were now in open opposition to liberals Wilhelm IV dismisses all liberal ministers and then dissolves the Prussian whole parliament at the same time of the revival of the Habsburgs This leads to the Frankfurt Parliament to ask Wilhelm to accept the crown “from the gutter”

Debate? “There was, in no realistic sense, a political revolution of any kind in Germany in 1848. There was merely a vacuum in which the liberals postured until the vacuum was filled”- A.J.P. Taylor