Show THE GERMAN NF ADVANCE EY ANCE I. I VIII THE THE H CHAOS OF D DISUNION BY FREDERIC J. J HASKIN FTER Napoleon was safely Imprisoned at St. St Helena and Europe was A AFTER again at peace tIm the various Ger German German German man states devoted themselves to the task of or rehabilitating their governments Tho TIm princes wished to re reorganize no- no organize on th the tho 3 old of or despotic rule tho the people lc permeated d by tho the spirit of or the French revolution lc demanded the freedom om A S of oC t constitutional government so The Tho natural confusion created by this revolution revo re lution In In political 4 thought was greatly fi augmented b by tl the I petty pelt Jealousies of oC the tho various states tates and b by tho the great ri rivalry rl- rl vaIn valry of oC Austria and ande e Prussia for leadership leadership leadership leader leader- ship In German af atI at- at fairs From until un un- un t I 1 til 1866 tho political F condition of or German Ocra Germany Ger Ocr man many was chaotic a but through the whole w period the 4 Prussian Influence nce was steadily gaining F Frederic re d er I c H Haskin as kl n. n ground Between 1815 and 1830 tho the demand of or orthe the people for free government Jo was Voas as acknowledged acknowledged acknowledged ac ac- ac- ac b by granting constitutions Inthe in inthe inthe the kingdoms kins-doms of Saxony and Bavaria and anda a few other otheT small states For a while Frederick William III III- seemed Inclined to grant a constitution for Prussia but hut buthe he ho did not go farther than to set up a number of oC provincial diets hots which were b by no means popular parliaments Austria Austila Aus- Aus tria tila was then ruled by the austere Prince Metternich a R resolute foe foo of or But the kings and princes soon forgot the constitutions they had granted and ander er very sery little r real al change chanse took place In the system of oC government In any of oC the tho German states the states the princes were supreme and tho people were nothIng noth noth- ing During Durin this same period the tho general desire for German unity grew rapidly Few Germans were satisfied with the loose confederation which Included thir thir- nine ty-nine states represented In the permanent permanent perma porma- nent diet sitting at On Frankfort This was organized after the congress of or Vienna In the act of oC confederation the thirty-nine thirty states agreed never to de declare de- de dare clare war ar against each other or ot to form orm forel foreign n alliances which would In any way prejudice the tho Interests of a German state But tho the rivalry of or Austria and Prussia and tho the unwillingness of or Bavaria and did not permit tho the restoration restoration restoration restora restora- tion of or the empire In this era the affairs of ot the German states bore hore a marked resemblance to the condition of oC tho the American states roll following following follow follow- owIng ow ing tho the revolution and preceding the adoption of the constitution when the tho thirteen states consented to the articles of confederation and were represented ted In inthe tho the continental congress but refused to obey obe the one or to respect the It ought not to he bo forgotten that the AmerIcan American Amer Anier- ican con constitution was the direct result of ot ofa ota a convention cOIn called to regulate Interstate commerce and to provide for a a. uniform customs administration The same economic economic eco eco- forces which brought about the tho amalgamation of oC the thirteen American states into the union under tho the constitution tion were cro at work In Germany German slow slowly compelling the tho reluctant and Jealous micro mi ml- ore erR Into union The sentimental desire for German unity wa was reinforced by tho tim economic demands for a cessation of the commercial commercial commer commer- cial restraints Imposed by the laws of each petty pett state The rno movement ment for Cor economic union was bc begun n In 1826 1825 by the king of Bavaria arla who made a customs treaty with Three years ears later agitation was begun for tho the In Institution tI- tI zoll of oC a customs union or made It Prussia's geographical position the natural center of oC this movement and andone andone several se state O one after another the governments governments gov gov- concluded the necessary treaties with pru Prussia la until In 1836 th tho customs union Included practically all the tho German states stales but hut Au Austria The French revolution of 1830 had a Ii I great effect erect In quickening the democracy of or the German states and many of oC th the rulers were ere forc forced d to grant more or less liberal constitutions but the they were not notIon Ion long regarded In 1835 Francis I. I the first emperor of Austria was wa succeeded by br his eon Ferdinand a man n of or weak mind and character The reactionary rc Prince still controlled Austrian Austrian Aus Aus- trian policies In 1810 Frederick William WIlliamI I IV succeeded to the throne of oC the Ho lie began beJan his reign by W l Ina Inaugurating f Uns a liberal political policy and he ho succeeded In doing loing a great deal for his people But he ho was thoroughly Imbued Imbued Im Im- im- im buerl with tile the notions potions of oC the divine right of or kings Icings In 18 1847 j. j yielding to pre pressure he summoned to Berlin a united diet which was not nota nota a parliament but bitt a mere com combination hi nation of oC the representative non provincial pro diets established b by his hits father rather When th the diet assembled d the king declared that thai nothing would Induce him to conce concede e n a constitution or to change th the tho natural re relations relations relations re- re lations between a prince antI and his subjects subject When In 1818 iSiS the third French revolution revolution re tion broke out its effect was Instantly felt In all parts of or Germany It was Voas the tho most moat widespread pread movement for popular government over ever known In Germany and anti It ft was as Immediately recognized by the princes prince of the smaller states who appointed appoint appoint- ed od liberal ministers and granted many of or the tho demands of or th the people The revolution tion was most serious in the tho two most powerful states tates Prussia and Austria A popular rising In Vienna forced Prince Metternich to flee to England and the emperor was waa obliged to summon Hummon a diet to be elected b by universal suffrage In Prussia la the tho revolution was even een more lol violent nt On March 13 and for several sev sov- eral succeeding days davs there were sharp contests between the tho soldiers and the people In Berlin On March 17 the king who was personally personal popular promised to grant the tho constitution which less than a year before he lie had sworn never ne to concede concede con con- cede The Tho next da day the people gathered gathered gathered gath gath- ered before tIme the royal roal palace to de demand demand demand de- de mand that the troops be sent out of or Berlin Suddenly two shots were fired Nobody knew from whence they came but buti the they were the signal for a fierce struggle between the troops and the p people peo peo- o- o pIe which continued far into the night and In which more than OO lives lI were lost Next da day the king Issued orders for tho the election of or a parliament In the tho meantime the other German state exclusive of or Austria and Prussia As assembled a provisional lonal parliament at Frankfort which decided that a national national national na na- na- na a assembly should be elected by the German Gennan people Tho The confederate diet thoroughly frightened recognized d the authority au RU- of or this provisional pro parliament The national assembly met In Frankfort Frank fort tort In May and elected the Archduke John of ot Austria as the head of a new provisional c central government The diet thereupon C ceased d to exist Your Four our days das later the Prussian parliament met In Berlin but hut could do nothing but quarrel It finally broke up and a R new parliament parlia parlin- ment mont was summoned to meet In February I any ary 1819 to consider a constitution pub pub- by the king in December 18 iSIS S. S The Austrian diet met In Vienna In I Jul July 18 1848 8 but It also Was as powerless be because because be- be cause of its lack laek of or The Hungarians demanded complete Independence independence Independence Inde Inde- and under the leadership of or Kossuth began a revolution The revolutionists revolutionists revo revo- captured Vienna and It was retaken by the Imp only after aHer several bloo bloody 1 encounters In the midst of or this storm th the Emperor Ferdinand Io on December 1 I 18 iSIS 8 abdicated In favor of or hl his nephew Francis Joseph who still rel reigns ns Tho The Frankfort assembly was considerIng consider consider- ing a new union Austria proper was desired as' as a member 0 of th tho now new Gorman German Gorman Gor Gor- man state but hut the Au Austrians were unwilling unwilling un un- un- un willing to come In unless th they brought with Ith them Hungary Hungar and the other non- non German Germ parts of oC tho the Austrian empire A powerful party was then formed with tho the purpose of excluding Austria altogether altogether altogether alto alto- gether from German Germany A majority de decided decided tIe tIe- that a president should be bp appointed ap up- pointed In whose family the honor should be bo hereditary under the title tithe of the emperor emperor emperor em em- of or tho thio Germans German This position and title was offered to Frederick William of at Pru Prussia la but he ho declined it because he heBald said Bald he could not accept th the title tithe unless It was offered with the consent of or th the German princes Th The offer coming from froni the tho representatives es o of the G German people people peo peo- phe was not acceptable In tho the next year ar the organized d Hungarian Hungarian Hun Hun- garian arlan revolution re occupied all the attention atten aLien tion of Austria and thi th the king of oC Prussia Pms Pms- siR sin s seized the to form a confederation con con- federation of oC German states under Prussian Prussian sian alan l without Austria In May Ma 18 1843 1815 an nn alliance was concluded b be between tween Prussia Hanover Hano and Saxony called the German union Austria be beginning beginning be- be ginning to recover reco from tho the Hungarian revolution joined Bavaria and Wurt- Wurt ternberg In a call for forn n a rea reassembly of or the diet at Frankfort while th the princes of oC the northern states met In Berlin This I Ithe threatened war between the north and south and the chaotic conditions were not I Improved ed The quarrel between Prussia and Austria went so far that the customs custom union appeared to be falling to pieces hut but In 1853 a treo treaty t of or commerce between between be be- tw tween cn Prussia and Austria saved the In lS 1849 1819 9 the tile second Pru Prussian parliament met and after aCter quarreling with the tho government ItO got for nearly nearh a year ear mutual concessions concessions con con- cessions were ere made oL is constitution was adopted and on February 6 6 1850 the king of or Prussia took an oath to sup support ort and antI maintain the new Jew constitution Since that da day the kingdom has been nominally at least a constitutional mon monarchy monarch a y German affairs to be hc In a hopeless tans tangle In the few years Imme irume- Hate following tho adoption of oC the Prussian constitution But tho the jealousies of nC the rival states tho tiit enmity of Catholics Catho Catho- and Protestants the aristocratic fear rear of the growing force of democracy and all the other agents of or disunion were gradually grad grad- losing strength The sentimental desire for the unity of the tho German race the economic demand for commercial union and above o all tho tIm power of Prussian Prussian sian sinn organization made union Ine ble bie Tom Tomorrow The German Advance I IX Formation of the Empire |