In March 1848, street fighting in Berlin forced King Frederick William IV to make concessions. (a) Describe the revolution in Berlin in March 1848. [4] (b) ...

(a) Describe the revolution in Berlin in March 1848. [4 marks]

• Inspired by the revolutions in Paris and Vienna, crowds gathered in Berlin in March 1848 demanding a constitution, freedom of the press, and German national unity.
• Fighting broke out between demonstrators and Prussian troops on 18 March 1848, with over 200 civilians killed on the barricades. The violence shocked the city and the king himself.
• King Frederick William IV withdrew his troops from Berlin, rode through the city wearing the revolutionary black, red and gold colours, and declared his support for a united Germany.
• He agreed to a constitution for Prussia and appointed a liberal government, apparently conceding to the revolutionaries' demands.

(b) Why did Frederick William IV initially agree to the demands of the revolutionaries? [6 marks]

• Shock at violence: The king was genuinely horrified by the bloodshed in Berlin. He was reportedly moved to tears when shown the bodies of those killed on the barricades and felt personally responsible for the suffering.
• Fear of escalation: He feared that continued resistance would lead to more radical revolution, potentially threatening the monarchy itself. The example of the French Revolution of 1789, which led to the execution of Louis XVI, was a constant warning.
• European context: The success of revolutions in Paris and Vienna suggested that attempting to suppress the uprising by force might be futile. The tide appeared to be running overwhelmingly in favour of the revolutionaries.
• Uncertain military loyalty: Some army units showed signs of wavering loyalty, and the king was not entirely confident that he could rely on the military to suppress the revolution without further bloodshed.
• Liberal advisors: The king was influenced by liberal advisors who argued that concessions were necessary to prevent worse outcomes and that constitutional government need not threaten the monarchy.
• Sympathy with nationalism: Frederick William IV had some genuine sympathy with German nationalist aspirations, even if he opposed popular sovereignty. He was attracted to the idea of leading a united Germany, provided it was on his own terms.

(c) How far did the 1848 revolutions advance the cause of German unification? [10 marks]

Arguments that the revolutions advanced unification:

• Frankfurt Parliament: The Frankfurt Parliament, meeting from May 1848 in St Paul's Church, was the first serious attempt to create a unified German state through democratic means. It brought together elected representatives from all German states to draft a constitution.
• Constitutional framework: The parliament debated and resolved key questions about the future shape of Germany, including the Grossdeutschland vs. Kleindeutschland debate (whether to include or exclude Austria). It ultimately produced a constitution for a united Germany.
• Crown offered to Prussia: The parliament's offer of the imperial crown to Frederick William IV of Prussia established the idea that Prussia should lead a unified Germany, a principle that Bismarck would later fulfil.
• National consciousness: The experience of elected representatives from all German states meeting together strengthened the idea of national unity and kept the question of unification alive.

Arguments that the revolutions failed to advance unification:

• Crown refused: Frederick William IV refused the crown in April 1849, famously describing it as a 'crown from the gutter' because it came from an elected parliament rather than from the German princes. He would not accept authority based on popular sovereignty.
• No military power: The Frankfurt Parliament had no army to enforce its decisions. It depended entirely on the cooperation of existing rulers, who withdrew their support once the revolutionary threat receded.
• Reassertion of old powers: Austrian and Prussian rulers reasserted their authority as the revolutionary movement weakened. The conservative order was restored across the German states.
• Parliament dispersed: The rump of the Frankfurt Parliament was dispersed by Prussian troops in Stuttgart in June 1849, demonstrating that real power lay with the military, not with elected representatives.
• Lesson for Bismarck: The most important legacy may have been negative. Otto von Bismarck, who observed the revolution as a young Prussian politician, concluded that German unification could only be achieved through 'blood and iron' - military power and diplomatic manoeuvre - not through parliamentary debate and liberal idealism.

Conclusion: The 1848 revolutions failed to achieve German unification directly. The Frankfurt Parliament's inability to enforce its decisions and Frederick William's refusal of the crown demonstrated the fundamental weakness of the liberal-democratic approach. However, the experience of 1848 established important precedents and lessons. The Kleindeutschland solution (unification under Prussian leadership without Austria) ultimately prevailed when Bismarck unified Germany in 1871. The revolution's most lasting contribution was to clarify the terms of the unification debate and to teach future leaders that unification would require Prussian military power, not liberal constitutionalism.