ABSTRACT
The German Confederation, established by the Powers in 1815, was intended to hand over Germany to the management of Austria and Prussia. Metternich quickly assumed the lead. His aims, though concealed with much art beneath a cloud of pompous phrases, were simply and brutally realistic. He believed that the one necessity was to crush Liberalism, Constitutionalism and Parliamentarism in Germany. Prussia was militaristic (Canning at any rate called her ‘a downright grenadier, with no politics but the drumhead and cat-o’-nine-tails’). So long, therefore, as Austria pursued this reactionary policy, Prussia would be obliged to follow in her wake. Metternich trusted to win her gratitude and support by discouraging the spreading of the vigorous constitutional movement in the south German states. Nassau, Baden, Württemberg, Bavaria and Saxe-Weimar acquired parliaments though not, of course, parliamentary government. He was to prove completely successful. No more parliaments were set up.
