Prussian Liberalism in the Mid-Nineteenth Century

Abstract

Conservatism in Prussia was r etained and liberalism defeated. What caused this defeat? What were the weaknesses of liberalism which doomed it in Bismarck's empire? To me the most important factor was that the dichotomy between the ideals and the deeds of the French Revolution proved true. Preaching liberal ideals, the French Revolution instituted the terror. Preaching the brotherhood of man, the French Revolution established the Napoleonic Empire. These inconslstencies have been pointed out before and I think they are still justified. Liberalism was only utilized for a brief time in Prussia under Stein and Hardenberg to defeat Napoleon and became, thereby, national and nationalistic. And nationalism was more of a problem in Germany which was not united. Combined with the feeling which the French Revolution instituted, this desire for a unified natlon proved too much for liberalism. [From concluding section]