ABSTRACT
The political struggles within the small states could achieve nothing decisive, for everything depended on how things turned out in the two large states, Austria and Prussia, who lagged far behind in evolving modern forms of constitution. Both in Austria and Prussia the death of the rulers who had hitherto blocked constitutional progress was of immediate importance. Frederick William III of Prussia died in 1840 and in his political testament he warned his successor against exposing the power of the monarchy to any constitutional changes which might weaken it. He was followed by Frederick William IV, whose accession at first inspired great hopes. Frederick William’s accession coincided with a crisis between the great powers which threatened war. Frederick William took many other political steps which revealed an inner conflict. As early as the thirties a great national and liberal movement had arisen in Hungary which aimed at bringing the outmoded constitutional position up-to-date and introducing thorough-going cultural and economic reforms.
