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Germany Issue 2
How Far had nationalism
grown in German by 1850?
Higher History
An assessment essay
Background
• German nationalism was the desire for a united
Germany encompassing all of the individual states
• National feeling existed in 1815, mainly as a
response to the ideas of the French revolution
and also due to the resentment felt by Germans
about Napoleon’s occupation
• Since 1815, nationalism had been growing in some
circles due to a number of factors including
culture, economic factors such as the Zollverein
and political reasons for unity such as military
strength
• There was support for nationalism, mainly from
students and educated Liberals but there were
still many groups in German society who strongly
opposed the idea of a united Germany and these
people came from a range of social classes
German Society around 1815-50
The Nobility
(Ruling
Classes)
Smallest
group
The Middle Classes
(lawyers, bankers)
The Working Class
(factories, miners – in cities
mainly)
The Peasants (very poor agricultural
worker, in the countryside)
Biggest
group
The areas where nationalism was making
progress or not making progress
‘The Factors’
1. Supporters of Nationalism
was pushing nationalism forward?)
2. Opponents of Nationalism
held back nationalism?)
(who
(who
3. Events of the 1840s
(what did
these events mean for nationalism?)
4. The Frankfurt Parliament
role did it play?)
(what
1.Supporters of Nationalism
Knowledge – the middle class
It was from the educated middle class that calls
for nationalism were strongest – they resented
that they paid the most taxes yet had little say in
how the money was spent
They resented that the upper classes (very
richest) were exempt from paying taxes yet got
the best jobs in the army or government
They felt they were the ‘wealth generators’ of
Germany and provided the legal and banking
services on which the country was run and they
saw the economic benefits of a united Germany
Middle Class: analysis
• The middle class were an important and
educated group in society who worked hard to
promote the benefits of economic and
political union and the ruling classes did
recognise that Germany could not function
without them (success)
• However, the opponents of nationalism were
just too strong and the old ruling classes ran
the army and could use that to suppress any
uprisings or revolts by the middle class
(limitation)
Supporters of Nationalism
Knowledge – the Liberals
Liberals were the more ‘modern’ thinkers in Germany
who believed that individuals needed freedom and
parliamentary democracy was the best political model
They had been inspired by the French Revolution and it’s
ideas of ‘liberty, equality and fraternity’ and had
hoped that these ideals would spread to Germany
The Liberals challenged the idea of a ‘ruling class’ born
into power and influence
Their main priorities were political freedom and a
relaxation of press censorship by the Princes
Liberals: analysis
• The Liberals had used the French Revolution as an
example for their political ideas and were
ideologically strong around that time – 1789 – and
many were inspired by their free and democratic
ideas(success)
• However, as soon as the French were defeated in
Europe, The Congress of Vienna was established
which returned power from Napoleon to the old ruling
classes and this was a huge setback to the Liberals
(limitation)
• Since most Germans lived in the countryside and
sometimes in remote areas, the Liberals and
Nationalists also found it difficult to organise
effectively in terms of protests as the supporters of
nationalism were often spread out widely (limitation)
2. Opponents of Nationalism
NB: when we say ‘opponents’ of nationalism it doesn’t
necessarily need to be those who actively discouraged it but
perhaps those who didn’t further the cause at all
As we already know, the individual German princes such as
Metternich were opposed to nationalism and you can use that
knowledge under this heading too, as long as you know why
they were opposed to it.
2. Opponents of Nationalism
Knowledge – the peasants
The peasants were the largest group in German society
and could have had the biggest impact on the growth of
nationalism, however they had far bigger problems than
politics
Conditions in the countryside were very harsh; rising
rents, harsh working conditions, a declining countryside
population, demand for food (so fewer workers had to
make more food) and there was pressure for peasants to
combine their small farms into larger commercial
businesses to make the ruling classes more money
The peasants resented the ruling classes greatly for
their hardships
Peasants: analysis
• The peasants would have been one of the groups who would
likely benefit most from a united Germany in terms of
democracy and economic benefits and their huge numbers
across Germany mean they could have had the biggest
influence in achieving a united Germany (success)
• However, the harsh living and working conditions in the
countryside meant that the day to day focus of German
peasants was actually survival and feeding themselves
rather than any big national issues (limitation)
• Historians have argued most Germans ‘seldom looked up
from the plough’ i.e. were too busy working to be politicised
(limitation)
• In addition, nationalism tended to be a focus of educated
and literate Germans and the peasants could not read or
write, making it difficult for them to engage in politics and
nationalist culture i.e. literature (limitation)
Opponents of Nationalism
Knowledge – the industrial workers or ‘working class’
Urbanisation and Industrialisation meant that more
Germans than ever were moving to the cities to live
and work – the population of Munich more than tripled
between 1900-1850 (from 30k to 110k)
In the cities, conditions were harsh – poor housing, high
rents, long hours & low pay
Working class: analysis
• The concentration of industrial workers in German
cities meant that the working classes were now far
more willing and able to demonstrate and demand
changes and improvements such as better housing
from the ruling classes (success)
• However, it is important to remember that the calls
for change from the working classes were about their
survival from day to day rather than political change –
there were no calls for democracy, liberalism or
nationalism (limitation)
• Historians have argued that the working classes would
support any government that led to a slight
improvement in their working conditions rather than
being motivated by nationalism (limitation)
3. Events of the 1840s
Knowledge – Harvests & Protests
There were a series of poor harvests in Germany in 1846 and
1847 as well as an outbreak of the same potato blight which hit
Ireland in 1845-6 (potatoes were the main food source of
peasants)
Combined with the large population growth, food shortages
became common in towns and in the countryside; wages
dropped, unemployment rose and living standards plummeted
Protests broke out across Germany in 1848 which stressed the
people’s discontent with the ruling classes and stressed the
need for a united Germany – the red, black and gold colours
were used by protestors
1848 protests: Analysis
Due to the events of the 1840s, Germans from all social
classes (apart from the nobility) were showing their popular
discontent with the current system of the ruling classes and
applying pressure through popular protest to the leaders of
the states for change (success)
However, it was only the middle class in the 1840s who were
demanding the creation of a united German Republic and the
more populous groups of workers and peasants were only
demanding change in terms of living standards (limitation)
3. Events of the 1840s
Knowledge – King Frederick
King Frederick was the King of Prussia and was very
concerned during 1848 about demonstrations in Berlin where
the army had opened fire, sparking off several days of
street fighting
King Frederick had been openly opposed to a united Germany
but suddenly due to so many deaths, he appeared to accept
their demands and even appeared wrapped in the red, black
and gold colours
Prince Metternich was forced to flee Vienna like a common
criminal in fear of his life after protests in Austria by those
wanting change as well as ethnic minorities in Austria, like the
Italians
Frederick & Metternich: Analysis
On the one hand, Frederick’s appearance in the German colours to
the protestors showed a willingness on his behalf to listen to those
who demanded change and many liberals and nationalists were given
hope that he would accept their demands as it was clear the ruling
classes had been alarmed by the protests(success)
The most positive effect of the protests was that the leaders of
the German states agreed to the creation of an all-German
parliament in 1848 known as the Frankfurt parliament, an
extremely important step towards unity of the ‘Germany’ – had it
not been for the protests this would not have happened (success)
However, historians have pointed out the contradictory nature of
King Frederick William and how he often changed his mind about
nationalism so offering his support at this time may not be as
significant (limitation)
In addition, anti nationalist princes like Metternich were still
prepared to go to great lengths to hold back nationalism for their
own self benefit, despite the protests, and many only agreed to the
parliament to ‘observe’ rather than make changes (limitation)
3. The Frankfurt Parliament
Knowledge – The Frankfurt Parliament
In 1847 there were calls from several German states to
tackle the issue of unity. Invitations were sent to all states
and the response was spectacular; 574 delegates met and
agreed to set up a German Parliament which would draw up
rules for a united Germany.
There would be one member for every 50,000 people in the
assembly and it became known as the ‘Frankfurt Parliament’.
The Parliament first met in 1848.
The Frankfurt Parliament: Analysis
The establishment of an all-German parliament and the fact that so
many states were willing to take part was a huge boost to the cause
of German nationalism and a definitive step forward in terms of the
road to a united Germany. (success)
Eventually included in the parliament’s constitution were freedom of
speech & worship and an end to discrimination and these were huge
steps in the creation of a more liberal, fair and democratic Germany
(success)
But there were a huge number of limitations – aim to know 2 or 3!
The old rulers of the German states reluctantly agreed to the ‘idea’
of an elected parliament but they had no real belief or commitment
for the parliament – they were more concerned with losing their own
thrones (limitation)
The parliament was dominated by the middle class and they were far
too preoccupied with furthering the cause of German Nationalism
rather than trying to improve conditions for the working class or
peasants (limitation)
The parliament relied too much on King Frederick and Prussia to support
ideas; King Frederick was fickle and flitted between supporting and
opposing German Nationalism, affecting the work of the parliament
(limitation)
The parliament had no armed force behind it which was a major
drawback and it had to instead rely on the Prussian army to crush
disturbances (limitation)
The work of the parliament moved at a snail’s pace – it was slow and
laborious – producing the constitution or rules of Germany took the
members nine months (limitation)
There were disagreements over the definition of ‘Germany’ and
members were split over two views;
• Grossdeutschland – Germany including Austria (favoured by
Southern states who were Catholic and worried about dominance of
protestant Prussia)
• Kleindeutschland – Germany without Austria and it’s empire
(favoured by Prussia as they would then dominate Germany)
(limitation)
3. The Frankfurt Parliament
Knowledge – The Failure of the Parliament
In 1849, the new Austrian emperor Franz Josef II was back
firmly in control of his country and sought to re-establish the
power and dominance of Austria within the parliament
To counteract the threat of anti-nationalist Austria, the members
of parliament offered the crown of a united Germany to King
William of Prussia; he rejected the crown saying he didn’t want a
‘crown from the gutter’ and the parliament collapsed.
Despite this, King William was still keen on a united Germany but
only one which Prussia would dominate and in 1850 he proposed a
Kleindeutsch state in which Prussia would control the army and
foreign policy
Unspurprisingly, Austria were furious to hear of this at a meeting
at Olmutz (modern day Czech Rep.) and King Frederick, worried
about the strength of Austria’s army, backed down. It seemed the
Austrians had won their fight against nationalism.
The failure of the Parliament: Analysis
The Frankfurt Parliament had seemed a fantastic
opportunity to bring together the German states and
engage in negotitations and nationalists had hoped that
the dominance of Prussia would help unite Germany
(success)
Without clear aims, decisive leadership and an armed
force to enforce decisions, the Frankfurt parliament had
been unable to fulfil its aims and it seemed to nationalists
that a great opportunity to unite Germany had been
missed (limitation)
The collapse of the parliament showed that even in 1850
Germany was still a long way from uniting and the
individual aims and power struggles of the ruling classes,
particularly the rivalry between Austria and Prussia,
meant that progress of nationalism was limited.
(limitation)
Exciting News!
• There is considerable overlap between this essay and
the growth of German Nationalism
• The SQA will also credit the following points - if you
use them correctly!
• Cultural nationalism – poets, writers etc – what it
achieved/ what it failed to achieve
• Economic nationalism – zollverein, who saw the economic
benefits etc – what it achieved/ what it failed to
achieve
• Burschenstaffen – student societies – what they
achieved/ what they failed to achieve
• Prince Metternich/ Carlsbad Decrees & student
societies – what they achieved/ what they failed to
achieve
Consolidation
• A good idea when you have taken all
your notes for a topic is to create a
condensed revision guide for the essay
• This might be a mind map, picture map,
bullet points etc. but should fit on one
page
• Do this for homework (example on next
page)
Success Criteria
All four factors covered
2 Knowledge points for each factor
(min)
4 examples of basic analysis
2 examples of A+
Evaluation
• This is a bit different for an assessment essay
• Rather than saying one factor is more important than
another we need to decide how succesful each factor
was in achieving it’s aims i.e.
• Supporters – how successful in achieving a united
Germany?
• Opponents how successful were they in stopping it?
• 1848 events – how much did it lead to a united Germany?
• The Frankfurt parliament – did it lead to a united
German or hold it back?
NB: Leave opponents out of your evaluation but you could use it
in evaluative comments for the other 3
• Once you have decided who was helped most and least
your evaluation 1 & 2 should fit around that
Evaluation
E1 and E2 - 2 marks can be gained from
making evaluative comments which relate to
individual factors
Example – Upon evaluation, the 1848 revolutions were very
successful in the progress of German nationalism because…
Upon evaluation, the supporters of nationalism were
unsuccessful in the progression of German nationalism
because…
NB – You must be saying something new in
your evaluation, not repeating your analysis
or doing ‘mini conclusions’
Evaluation +
E+ - up to 4 marks can be gained from making
evaluative comments which show the relative
importance between factors (i.e. you compare
two)
Example – Upon evaluation, the opponents of
nationalism were more successful than the
supporters of nationalism because
NB – You must be saying something new in your
evaluation, not repeating your analysis or doing
‘mini conclusions’
Remember analysis is really tricky and many
candidates get 0/4 but still get an A!
Examples
Upon evaluation, the opponents of nationalism were
more successful than the supporters of nationalism
because although the Nationalists and Liberals
passionately believed in a united Germany they
lacked the organisation and numbers to achieve it
effectively and even though the workers and
peasants were not actively discouraging nationalism
their focus was on living standards not politics and
the huge numbers of them meant that the majority
of the German population were ignoring the
nationalist cause completely.
Essay Questions
• How Far had German Nationalism grown is an example of an
assessment essay – this means the SQA expect you to know
about nationalistic developments in Germany and assess
successful each was i.e. know the successes & limitations
• The good thing about these questions is the structure of the
essay never changes! Always supporters-opponents-1848Frankfurt Parliament
• Example essay question (2015 paper)
• ‘By 1850 supporters of nationalism had made significant
progress in their aims’. How valid is this view?
20 marks
You should always argue some progress had been made but
Germany was not quite ready to unite – this allows you to give a
balanced argument
Writing the intro
Background – 2/3 sentences – describe
Germany at the start of the growth of
nationalism (Around 1815…)
Factors – In assessing how far nationalism
had grown by 1850 it is important to
consider… …(a list is fine)
Argument – It can be argued that
nationalism had made little/ some/
considerable progress in Germany
because…
Conclusion – 4 step plan
• In conclusion, there had been some progress
made in terms of German Nationalism by 1850.
• On the one hand… (you should take the positive
argument here and explain what progress had
been made)
• On the other hand… (now you should do the same
with the flip side and explain the obstacles to
nationalism)
• Overall, Nationalism had made little/ some/
considerable progress (now you decide which one
you agree with and provide evidence to back up
that judgement – make it strong and decisive!)
How far German Nationalism –
practice essay Q
‘By 1850 supporters of nationalism had
made significant progress in their aims’.
How valid is this view?
20 marks