Warsaw Conference of 1850
Encyclopedia
The Warsaw Conference of 1850 was a conference attended by representatives of the Kingdom of Prussia
, the Austrian Empire
and the Russian Empire
on 28 October 1850, in Warsaw
, Congress Poland
. The aims of the conference were to re-establish order in the German states following the revolutions of 1848
, and also to prevent war between Austria and Prussia over the so-called Hessian Question. The conference resulted in Russian support for Austria as well as the restoration of the German Confederation
.
, granted his subjects a constitution in order to prevent open revolt. Following the failure of the German National Assembly
to create a united German state, the nationalist and revolutionary movement lost momentum, thus resulting in many German Princes retracting their liberal constitutions. Electoral Hesse
was of no exception to this.
In 1850, Frederick William summoned the reactionary Hans Daniel Hassenpflug
to be his head of government. Hassenpflug soon threw himself into the struggle against the constitution, leading to him becoming highly unpopular amongst all classes within the electorate. Eventually the constitution was retracted, leading to the resignation of the army, and subsequently forcing Frederick William and his government to flee the capital of Kassel
when the people rose up to restore the liberal constitution.
In virtue of the Treaty of Vienna, Frederick William called for the German Diet to restore order in his states. However, this call subsequently gave rise to a split between Austria and Prussia over the Hessian Question.
On the one hand, Prussia refused to even acknowledge the existence of the Diet, stating that it had abdicated it's function in 1848 when the Frankfurt Parliament was established to replace it. Subsequently, Prussia declared that it would resist the self-styled Diet by arms if it marched troops into Electoral Hesse.
Conversely, Austria upheld the existence of the Diet - a body it claimed the presidency of - and was supported by Bavaria
, Württemberg
, Saxony
, Baden
, and also several other small German states. The Kingdom of Hanover
was somewhat on the fence over the issue, though most other north German states supported Prussia.
At a conference held at Bregenz
on 12 October 1850, the Emperor of Austria and the Kings of Saxony, Württemberg and Bavaria resolved to comply with the requests of the Elector of Hesse and advance federal troops into the electorate. Following this, both sides immediately began to amass their forces in preparation for a large scale war, with Prussia sending troops to Electoral Hesse with the orders to shoot upon Federal troops should they attempt an invasion.
War seemed inevitable, when the Tsar of Russia, Nicholas I
, offered to be a mediator in the dispute. This subsequently led to the conference held at Warsaw.
. Unable to resist the combined might of Austria and Russia, Prussia stepped down and allowed the intervention of the Diet in those states that recognised it. Subsequently, the Russian Tsar gave only his "moral" support to Austria.
The very next day a combined force of 12,000 Austrian and Bavarian soldiers entered the electorate at Hanau
, accompanied by a Federal Commissary, the Count of Rechberg. The electorate was declared under martial law, the citizens called upon to deliver up their arms, and a harsh proclamation issued by Count Rechberg, in the name of the Diet, accompanied by another from the elector to his "faithful and loyal subjects", calling upon them to submit to Federal forces. Control of Electoral Hesse was quickly restored, with war between Austria and Prussia being successfully averted.
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
, the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
and the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
on 28 October 1850, in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Congress Poland
Congress Poland
The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...
. The aims of the conference were to re-establish order in the German states following the revolutions of 1848
Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
The Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, also called the March Revolution – part of the Revolutions of 1848 that broke out in many countries of Europe – were a series of loosely coordinated protests and rebellions in the states of the German Confederation, including the Austrian Empire...
, and also to prevent war between Austria and Prussia over the so-called Hessian Question. The conference resulted in Russian support for Austria as well as the restoration of the German Confederation
German Confederation
The German Confederation was the loose association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to coordinate the economies of separate German-speaking countries. It acted as a buffer between the powerful states of Austria and Prussia...
.
The Hessian Question
In 1848 the Elector of Hesse, Frederick WilliamFrederick William, Elector of Hesse
Frederick William I was, between 1847 and 1866, the last Elector of Hesse-Kassel .- Life :...
, granted his subjects a constitution in order to prevent open revolt. Following the failure of the German National Assembly
Frankfurt Parliament
The Frankfurt Assembly was the first freely elected parliament for all of Germany. Session was held from May 18, 1848 to May 31, 1849 in the Paulskirche at Frankfurt am Main...
to create a united German state, the nationalist and revolutionary movement lost momentum, thus resulting in many German Princes retracting their liberal constitutions. Electoral Hesse
Hesse-Kassel
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel or Hesse-Cassel was a state in the Holy Roman Empire under Imperial immediacy that came into existence when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided in 1567 upon the death of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. His eldest son William IV inherited the northern half and the...
was of no exception to this.
In 1850, Frederick William summoned the reactionary Hans Daniel Hassenpflug
Hans Daniel Ludwig Friedrich Hassenpflug
Hans Daniel Ludwig Friedrich Hassenpflug , German statesman, was born at Hanau in Hesse.He studied law at Göttingen, graduated in 1816, and took his seat as Assessor in the judicial chamber of the board of government at Kassel, of which his father Johann Hassenpflug was also a member, in 1821 he...
to be his head of government. Hassenpflug soon threw himself into the struggle against the constitution, leading to him becoming highly unpopular amongst all classes within the electorate. Eventually the constitution was retracted, leading to the resignation of the army, and subsequently forcing Frederick William and his government to flee the capital of Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
when the people rose up to restore the liberal constitution.
In virtue of the Treaty of Vienna, Frederick William called for the German Diet to restore order in his states. However, this call subsequently gave rise to a split between Austria and Prussia over the Hessian Question.
On the one hand, Prussia refused to even acknowledge the existence of the Diet, stating that it had abdicated it's function in 1848 when the Frankfurt Parliament was established to replace it. Subsequently, Prussia declared that it would resist the self-styled Diet by arms if it marched troops into Electoral Hesse.
Conversely, Austria upheld the existence of the Diet - a body it claimed the presidency of - and was supported by Bavaria
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
, Württemberg
Kingdom of Württemberg
The Kingdom of Württemberg was a state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which came into existence in 1495...
, Saxony
Kingdom of Saxony
The Kingdom of Saxony , lasting between 1806 and 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. From 1871 it was part of the German Empire. It became a Free state in the era of Weimar Republic in 1918 after the end of World War...
, Baden
Grand Duchy of Baden
The Grand Duchy of Baden was a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918.-History:...
, and also several other small German states. The Kingdom of Hanover
Kingdom of Hanover
The Kingdom of Hanover was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg , and joined with 38 other sovereign states in the German...
was somewhat on the fence over the issue, though most other north German states supported Prussia.
At a conference held at Bregenz
Bregenz
-Culture:The annual summer music festival Bregenzer Festspiele is a world-famous festival which takes place on and around a stage on Lake Constance, where a different opera is performed every second year.-Sport:* A1 Bregenz HB is a handball team....
on 12 October 1850, the Emperor of Austria and the Kings of Saxony, Württemberg and Bavaria resolved to comply with the requests of the Elector of Hesse and advance federal troops into the electorate. Following this, both sides immediately began to amass their forces in preparation for a large scale war, with Prussia sending troops to Electoral Hesse with the orders to shoot upon Federal troops should they attempt an invasion.
War seemed inevitable, when the Tsar of Russia, Nicholas I
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
, offered to be a mediator in the dispute. This subsequently led to the conference held at Warsaw.
The Warsaw Conference
At the conference, Prussia was aware that Russia would likely support Austria due to the latter's more conservative nature, as well as recently sharing an alliance to crush the revolutions of 1848Revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas
From March 1848 through July 1849, the Habsburg Austrian Empire was threatened by revolutionary movements. Much of the revolutionary activity was of a nationalist character: the empire, ruled from Vienna, included Austrian Germans, Hungarians, Slovenes, Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Ruthenians,...
. Unable to resist the combined might of Austria and Russia, Prussia stepped down and allowed the intervention of the Diet in those states that recognised it. Subsequently, the Russian Tsar gave only his "moral" support to Austria.
The very next day a combined force of 12,000 Austrian and Bavarian soldiers entered the electorate at Hanau
Hanau
Hanau is a town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt am Main. Its station is a major railway junction.- Geography :...
, accompanied by a Federal Commissary, the Count of Rechberg. The electorate was declared under martial law, the citizens called upon to deliver up their arms, and a harsh proclamation issued by Count Rechberg, in the name of the Diet, accompanied by another from the elector to his "faithful and loyal subjects", calling upon them to submit to Federal forces. Control of Electoral Hesse was quickly restored, with war between Austria and Prussia being successfully averted.