How Far had German Nationalism Grown by 1850?

Cultural Progress
1. Romantic Movement - arts, literature, poets and musicians.
  1. Inspired by the idea of a Great Germany
  2. Common culture, traditions, history
2. Language a great unifying force - 25million speaking the same language
3. Quotations:
  1. "Those who speak the same language are joined by a multitude of invisible bonds" - Stiles
  2. "Tens of thousands of people felt passionately that Germans deserved a fatherland" - Stiles
Cultural Limitations
1. Majority of population illiterate - only 48% were literate
  1. Most couldn't access the works of the Romantic Movement
    1. This was mainly a m/c movement
2. Peasants and w/c had other priorities like surviving
3. Quotes:
  1. "Most Germans seldom looked up from the plough" - Mann
    1. "There was no call for democracy, liberalism or nationalism" - McGonigle
Political Progress
1. 1840 - French Threats to invade Rhineland. Members from many other states defended area, showing they were united against the common enemy.
2. Growth of Burschenshaften dedicated to seeing French driven from German soil
  1. Frankfurt Parliament established to draw up a constitution for a unified Germany
3. 1848 revolutions proved that people were prepared to demonstrate and demand change - Metternich so fearful that he fled to Britain.
4. Quotes:
  1. "The French united the German States in a common feeling or resentment against them" - Thomson
Political Limitations
1. Leaders of 39 states wanted to keep their own powers and opposed the FP
  1. Failure of FP and no agreement reached on Gross or Klein Solution
2. Failure of 1848 Revolutions showed nationalists were divided
3. Bund kept political progress to a minimum, led by anti-nationalist Austroa, all decisions had to be unanimous
4. Repressive measures put in place to curb spread of nationalism - Carlsbad Decrees and Six Acts
5. Quotes:
  1. "The Carlsbad Decrees were successful in keeping Germany quiet for a considerable period of time" - McKichan
  2. "The Bund was more a means to perpetuate the division of Germany than to unite it" - Mitchell
Ecinomic Progress
1. Area of most significant progress and successful in bringing the states together
2. Zollverein set up in 1818 and encouraged trade between its member states - they acted as one country, economically
  1. By 1836, 25 out of 39 states were members
    1. Excluded anti-nationalist Austria
    2. Led to the growth of the Railway network across the member states and ended state isolation
  2. Zollverein states producing far more coal and iron than Austria - proved that economic cooperation was successful
3. Quotes:
  1. "Mighty leveler" - Carr
    1. "a force for unity in the 1840s" - Stiles
  2. "Railways were of great political significance as they helped break down provincial barriers" - Carr

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How Far had German Nationalism Grown by 1850?

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	Created by Julia falconer about 9 years ago