ABSTRACT
In 1824 the reactionary publicist Gentz could write with truth of the effects of the Austrian Chancellor’s policy: “The revolutionary system henceforth can only gain the upper hand in Germany if the Germanic Federation itself succumbs.” The fall of the Empire and the consequent re-arrangement of the map of Germany seemed to mark the occultation of the German national idea. The obnoxious Decrees of Carlsbad continued in force for nearly twenty years, and their spirit dominated the home politics of Germany during the whole of that time and long after. The philosophical historian of German political movements, when he appears, may find in the operation of the Decrees the solution to some of the most marked peculiarities of party relationships in Germany. A still larger step forward was taken by the reduction and ultimate unification of the customs system of the German States.
