Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Schwarzenberg, Austria, and the German Question, 1848–1851

1991; Routledge; Volume: 13; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/07075332.1991.9640570

1949-6540

Lawrence Sondhaus,

Historical Influence and Diplomacy

revolutions in the spring of 1 848 sparked a hope for German unity among the Germans of Austria as well as those from Prussia and the smaller states. For the Austrian proponents of unification, the dream of inclusion in a new Germany was not to become a reality; nevertheless, the Austrian role in the mid-century wrangle over the German constitution remains a topic of interest for historians. Within the general debate over whether there ever was a realistic hope for the German Austrian cause, attention has focused on the extent to which the schemes associated with the ministry of Prince Felix zu Schwarzenberg, in the years immediately following 1848, embodied genuine Austrian aspirations to a unified Greater Germany. The summer of 1 848 found plenty of Austrians among the dreamers at the Paulskirche in Frankfurt, where the new national assembly convened. Those assuming positions of leadership in the provisional German government included Archduke John as imperial regent (Reichsverweser) and Anton von Schmerling as interior minister (later ministerpresident). But their involvement did not automatically guarantee a place for Austria in the new Germany. The position of the Habsburg monarchy ultimately became a hotly contested issue between the kleindeutsch and grossdeutsch factions in the Frankfurt Parliament, the former proposing a Germany consisting only of Prussia and the smaller states, the latter calling for the inclusion of the German provinces of Austria as well. To make matters worse, there were further divisions within the Austrian delegation itself. In October 1 848, when voting on a motion for the dissolution of the Habsburg Empire and inclusion of the German Austrian lands in a united Germany, the Austrians split into three roughly equal camps: those in favour, those opposed, and those casting no vote at all.1