The Erfurt Union: Prussia's Attempt to Unite Germany
The Stage is Set: Germany Before 1848
Before understanding the Erfurt Union, we must look at the political landscape of Central Europe in the first half of the 19th century. Germany was not a single country. Instead, it was a collection of around 39 independent states, from large kingdoms like Prussia and Austria to tiny duchies and free cities. These states were loosely joined in an association called the German Confederation1, established in 1815 after the defeat of Napoleon. The Confederation was designed not to promote unity but to maintain the independence of the member states and prevent revolution. Austria, as the largest and most prestigious German power, held the permanent presidency.
The confederation was like a very weak sports league. Each team (state) was completely independent, with its own government, laws, and army. The league office (the Confederate Diet in Frankfurt) had no real power to make teams follow rules or work together. Two teams, Austria and Prussia, were much bigger and stronger than all the others. They were constant rivals for leadership of the league.
In 1848, a wave of revolutions swept across Europe. In the German states, people demanded liberal reforms, constitutions, and national unification. A freely elected National Assembly met in Frankfurt and drafted a constitution for a unified German empire. They offered the imperial crown to King Frederick William IV of Prussia. However, in a decisive moment, the proud king refused to accept a "crown from the gutter," offered by elected representatives. The Frankfurt Parliament's efforts collapsed. This failure created a power vacuum and a golden opportunity for Prussia to try unification on its own terms.
Prussia's Bold Plan: Crafting the Union
After the revolutionary fervor died down, conservative governments regained control. In Prussia, a brilliant and pragmatic politician named Joseph von Radowitz became the chief advisor to King Frederick William IV. Radowitz was a nationalist who wanted a united Germany, but one led by Prussia and its king, not by liberal revolutionaries. He devised a plan for a German Union that would include all German states except the non-German parts of the Austrian Empire. This was known as the Kleindeutsch (Small German) solution2.
Radowitz's strategy was clever. He proposed a federal state with a common monarch (the King of Prussia), a national parliament, and a joint military. However, to attract the smaller, wary German states, he promised they would keep much of their internal independence. It was a compromise between full unity and complete separation.
| Proposal | Leader | Included Austria? | Basis of Power | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| German Confederation (1815) | Austria | Yes | Loose association of sovereign states | Maintained division |
| Frankfurt Parliament (1848-49) | Liberal Parliament | Yes (German lands only) | Popular election & constitution | Rejected by Prussian king |
| Erfurt Union (1850) | Prussia | No | Prussian monarchy & negotiated treaty | Collapsed under pressure |
| North German Confederation (1867) | Prussia | No | Prussian military victory | Successful, led to German Empire |
In early 1850, Prussia invited other German states to join the new union. A parliament, known as the Erfurt Parliament, met from March to April 1850 in the Thuringian city of Erfurt to discuss and adopt a constitution. About 150 representatives from mostly smaller north and central German states attended. However, the major German kingdoms like Bavaria, Wurttemberg, and Hanover stayed away, fearful of Prussian dominance and Austrian reaction. The Erfurt Parliament was, therefore, a gathering of mostly Prussian allies and satellites.
Austria Fights Back: The Collapse at Olmutz
The Austrian Empire, under its determined minister Prince Felix von Schwarzenberg, would not accept its exclusion from German affairs. Schwarzenberg had a bold vision of his own: a Grossdeutsch (Large German) solution3 that would include the entire Austrian Empire in a reformed German Confederation, ensuring Vienna's continued leadership. He moved decisively to sabotage Prussia's plan.
Austria's strategy was multi-pronged:
- Diplomatic Isolation: Austria rallied the medium-sized German states (the "Third Germany") that were suspicious of Prussia. It called for a revival of the old German Confederation's diet in Frankfurt.
- Military Threat: Austria mobilized its army and secured the support of Russia. Tsar Nicholas I saw the Erfurt Union as a revolutionary threat to the conservative order and supported Austria.
- Political Pressure: Austria declared the Erfurt Union illegal and a violation of the treaties that had established the German Confederation.
Faced with this united opposition, Prussia found itself alone. Its potential allies were few, and its king was unwilling to risk a civil war against Austria and its allies. The crisis came to a head in the autumn of 1850 over a conflict in Hesse-Cassel, where Austria and Prussia supported opposing sides. War seemed imminent.
At this critical moment, Prussian resolve crumbled. At a meeting in the Moravian town of Olmutz (now Olomouc in the Czech Republic) in November 1850, Prussia capitulated. In the Punctation of Olmutz4, Prussia agreed to abandon the Erfurt Union and participate in the restoration of the old German Confederation under Austrian presidency. Radowitz resigned in disgrace. The Prussian press bitterly called the agreement the "Humiliation of Olmutz."
A Classroom Simulation: The Union Negotiation
Let's imagine a practical example to understand the dynamics of the Erfurt Union. Picture your classroom as Central Europe in 1850.
- Prussia: The tallest, strongest student in class (let's call them Alex). Alex wants to be the group leader for a big project (unifying Germany).
- Austria: Another tall, strong student (Sam) who has always been the default leader. Sam has a very large, messy backpack (their non-German empire) they insist on bringing to the group.
- Smaller German States: The rest of the class.
Alex proposes: "Let's form a project group, but only people with neat, single-subject binders can join. We'll have clear rules, and I'll be the captain." Many classmates like this organized plan and start working with Alex. This is the Erfurt Union forming.
Sam objects loudly: "That's not fair! I'm the traditional leader. We should use the old, looser group rules where I'm in charge, and everyone can bring whatever they want." Sam convinces several classmates that Alex will boss them around too much. Sam also gets the teacher (Russia) to say the old rules are the official ones.
Faced with Sam's alliance and the teacher's support, Alex backs down. The new group disbands, and everyone returns to the old, less effective group with Sam in charge. The project is delayed for years. This was the "Humiliation of Olmutz." The key lesson? Prussia (Alex) had a good idea but lacked the military and diplomatic strength to enforce it against a determined Austria (Sam) with powerful friends.
Why Did the Erfurt Union Fail? A Step-by-Step Analysis
We can break down the failure into a sequence of causes and effects, almost like a chemical reaction that didn't produce the desired compound.
1. Ingredient (Cause): Prussian ambition without full military commitment.
2. Ingredient (Cause): Austrian determination to maintain hegemony.
3. Catalyst: Russian diplomatic support for Austria.
4. Reaction: Smaller German states choose the safer option (Austria/old system).
5. Failed Product (Effect): Collapse of the Erfurt Union; restoration of Austrian-led German Confederation.
Mathematically, we can think of the balance of power. For the Erfurt Union ($E$) to succeed, the combined power of Prussia and its allies ($P_{total}$) needed to be greater than the combined power of Austria and its allies ($A_{total}$).
$P_{total} = P_{Prussia} + P_{Union\ States}$
$A_{total} = A_{Austria} + A_{Confederation\ States} + A_{Russia}$
The failure condition was: $P_{total} < A_{total}$. At Olmutz, Prussian leaders calculated that this inequality was true, so they chose to back down rather than go to war. The union's constitution, while a legal document, lacked the "force" variable needed to make it reality. In physics terms, the Austrian/Russian force created an insurmountable counter-pressure.
Important Questions
The main difference was the source of authority and leadership. The Frankfurt Parliament was a liberal, revolutionary body born from popular elections in 1848. It sought to create a Germany based on popular sovereignty and offered the crown to Prussia's king. The Erfurt Union was a conservative, top-down project orchestrated by the Prussian government itself. It aimed for unity through agreement between princes and states, preserving monarchical authority, not granting power to the people.
Russia under Tsar Nicholas I was the guardian of the conservative, monarchical order established in 1815. It saw any change to the German Confederation—especially a move led by Prussia that might strengthen German nationalism—as a potential threat to stability. Russia was also a traditional ally of Austria. When Austria opposed the Union, Russia provided crucial diplomatic and military backing, tipping the balance of power decisively against Prussia. Facing both Austria and Russia was a risk Prussia was unwilling to take in 1850.
Yes, it was a crucial rehearsal for German unification. It clarified that the Kleindeutsch solution (Germany without Austria) was Prussia's preferred path. It exposed the deep rivalry with Austria (the "German Dualism") that could only be settled by war. The humiliation at Olmutz became a powerful memory in Prussia. In the following decades, Prussian leaders like Otto von Bismarck worked tirelessly to strengthen the Prussian army and isolate Austria diplomatically. The successful North German Confederation of 1867, established after Prussia defeated Austria in the Austro-Prussian War (1866), was essentially the Erfurt Union achieved by force.
Conclusion: A Rehearsal for History
Footnote
1. German Confederation (Deutscher Bund): A loose association of 39 German-speaking states, including Austria and Prussia, created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Its primary purpose was to guarantee the internal and external security of its members and to preserve the status quo.
2. Kleindeutsch Solution: The "Small German" solution to German unification. It proposed a unified German nation-state that would include all German lands except those of the Austrian Empire. This meant Prussia would be the dominant power. The opposite is the Grossdeutsch solution.
3. Grossdeutsch Solution: The "Large German" solution to German unification. It proposed a unified German state that would include all German-speaking lands of both the Austrian Empire and the other German states. This would have made Austria the dominant power.
4. Punctation of Olmutz (Olmutz Agreement): The agreement signed in November 1850 between Prussia and Austria. In it, Prussia agreed to dissolve the Erfurt Union, demobilize its army, and recognize the re-established German Confederation under Austrian leadership. It was perceived as a profound humiliation for Prussia.