Erfurter Union (also, League of the Three Kings)of further strengthening the ties of family and of friendship
existing between them, and of contributing with their united
forces to the maintenance of internal and external peace and
legal order in their dominions, have agreed to conclude a Treaty
suited to the object they have in view.
For this purpose they have appointed as their Plenipoten-
tiaries :—His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, his Highness
Clement Wenceslas Lothaire, Prince of Metternich-Winneburg,
Duke of Portella, Count of Koenigswart, Grandee of Spain of
the 1st Class, Knight of the Golden Fleece, Grand Cross of the
Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, and of the Golden Order of
Merit, His Apostolic Majesty’s Grand Chamberlain, Privy
Councillor and Minister of State, Court and State Chancellor,
and His Royal Highness the Archduke Duke of Modena, the
Count Theodore de Volo, his Chamberlain: who having
exchanged and verified their full powers, have agreed upon the
following Articles :
ART. I. Whenever the Italian States of His Majesty the
Emperor of Austria and of His Royal Highness the Duke of
Modena shall be exposed to an attack from the exterior, the
High Contracting Parties reciprocally engage to lend each other
help and assistance with all the means in their power, as soon as
a request to that effect shall have been made by one party to the
other.
II. The States of His Royal Highness the Duke of ’ Modena
entering henceforward in the line of defence of the Italian
provinces of His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, His Royal
Highness the Duke of Modena concedes to His Majesty the
Emperor the right of marching the Imperial troops on the
Modenese territory, and of occupying its fortresses whenever
the interest of their common defence or military precaution
shall require it.
III. When circumstances shall occur in the interior of the
States of the Duke of Modena which might lead to the belief
that tranquillity and legal order are likely to be disturbed, or
when such turbulent movements shall have risen to a commo-
tion, to repress which the means at the disposal of the Govern-
ment should not be sufficient, His Majesty the Emperor of Aus-
tria promises, as soon as he shall have been informed of such
disturbances, to lend every military assistance necessary for the
maintenance and re-establishment of tranquillity and legal
order.
IV. His Royal Highness the Duke of Modena promises not to
conclude any military Convention whatever with another
Power, without the previous consent of His Imperial and Royal
Apostolic Majesty.
V. Everything relating to the expense of maintaining the
troops of one of the parties, as soon as they shall have begun to
operate upon the territory of the other, will be settled immedi-
ately by a separate Convention.
VI. The present Treaty shall be ratified, and the ratifications
exchanged within 14 days, and sooner, if possible.
In faith whereof we, the Plenipotentiaries of His Majesty the
Emperor of Austria, and His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of
Modena, have signed the present Convention, and have affixed
our seals thereto.
Done at Vienna, December 24, 1847.
(L.S.) PRINCE DE METTERNICH.
(L.S.) COUNT DE VOLO.3.1155 Erfurter Union (also, League of the
Three Kings)
Alliance Members:Prussia, Hanover, and Saxony
Signed On:May 26, 1849, in the city of Erfurt (Germany). In force
until October 20, 1849, after the withdrawal of Hanover and Saxony
from the union.
Alliance Type:Defense Pact (Type I)
Source:Martens,vol. 14, p. 445–456.SUMMARY
As Prussia’s ability and willingness to challenge Austrian dominance of
Germany grew throughout the mid-nineteenth century, Prussia
sought a way to formalize its expanding role and to exclude Austria
without alienating it completely. The revolutions of 1848 encouraged
consolidation against both external and internal threats, leading Prus-
sia to seek an agreement by which it would dominate a Germany that
did not include Austria yet maintain the benefits of trade with its erst-
while rival.
The result was the League of the Three Kings, which included Prussia,
Saxony, and Hanover in a German confederation that posed a signifi-
cant threat to the already weakening Austrian position. Before tensions
between the confederation and Austria could come to a head, however,
the kings of Saxony and Hanover pulled out of the agreement, fearing
the loss of sovereignty hinted at by ever-growing Prussian ambitions
to create and lead a unified Germany. They subsequently rejoined the
Austrian sphere, changing the balance of power.Description of Terms
The allies pledge that Prussia leads all military operations
according to the provisions of the war constitution of the
Deutscher Bund. The allies are to have their troops ready with
more precise provisions with respect to the number of troops,
their positioning, etc., reserved to later consultations. In gen-
eral, the troops shall be used to guarantee internal order in their
own state and in any immediately contiguous areas. In cases of
emergency, any ally can help a contiguous ally without needing
the permission of all alliance members. Only when military
operations are broader are all troops to be viewed as one army
and used as such.
The specific terms of the treaty are valid for one year follow-
ing June 1, 1849. If before the end of this one-year term the
planned constitution for the German empire comes into exis-
tence, the provisions of the planned constitution are to be fol-
lowed. If after the end of the year the constitutional order in
Germany has not been restored, the parties reserve for them-
selves the right to change the terms.