662 Ch. 17 • The Era of National Unificationinsane. Crowned following Frederick William’s death in 1861, William I
made clear from the outset of his reign that, unlike his predecessor, he would
look beyond the small group of reactionary Prussian Junkers and bring some
more moderate conservatives into his cabinet. William I promised to rule
constitutionally. Voters—men of at least moderate wealth—responded by
turning out in unprecedented numbers to vote. Liberals won a clear victory
in the 1858 elections to the Prussian Parliament, which brought to that
assembly a good number of men enriched by the economic boom in the
early 1850s. Liberals who favored German unification now had a public
forum in which to be heard. Many businessmen believed that German uni
fication would be good for them, as the Zollverein customs union had ben
efited them in the 1840s.
In the meantime, the Austrian war against Piedmont-Sardinia and
France in 1859 divided Prussians. Some were torn between dislike for Aus
tria and irritation with French Emperor Napoleon III for helping engineer
the outbreak of war. Austria was a member of the German Confederation
and had the right to expect assistance from fellow members. But Austria
was also Prussia’s major rival for power within the German states. Prussia
remained neutral in the war, but Italy’s move toward unification greatly
impressed German nationalists. Those who looked to Prussia to forge Ger
man unity welcomed Austria’s defeat.
In 1858, several “Pan-German” associations had been formed as pres
sure groups supporting German unification. The largest and most influen
tial, the National Union (Nationalverein), wanted a constitutional and
parliamentary German state. The Prussian government remained suspicious
of the National Union because many of its members favored the extension of
political freedom within the German states. As in the old Frankfurt Parlia
ment, its members were overwhelmingly middle class, including intellectu
als, lawyers, officials, and small businessmen, but also included several
industrialists. The National Union rebuffed an attempt by workers’ organi
zations to join in 1863, but contributed
to the resurgence of political liberalism
within Prussia by demanding an effec
tive constitution that would limit the
domination of the monarchy and the
Junkers.
The question of army reform raised
the issue of parliamentary control over
the budget. The Prussian constitu
tional crisis that followed became a
critical step in the unification of Ger
many along lines that turned out to be
anything but liberal. The Prussian mili
tary mobilization in 1859 during the
William I. Austrian war against Piedmont and