The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-14

Powers (Austfta and PrIlssial was TO with
stand the test Of friction. II o became
evident that the hegcmony Of Prussia was
such n buRbear 20 the smaller States that
OF their own accord they would nestle under
the wings OF the .Hapeburg double eagle.
Those minor States were little attracted
by Prussia's tireless energy. and the fact
that many Of their sons were already in
the Austrian service contributed to further
the designs formed at Vienna. II Is well
known that Bismsrck's task during the
500 and early '0Os was to thwart those
designs in the capacity first Of Prlssia's
representative In the Frankfort Diet and
secondly Of Prnssian Prime Minister.
Before HE plans eliminated. however,
in the Schleswig-H olstein war. which 40
crued almost wholly to the advantage OF
Prussia. Prussian statesmen had gained
a success more important than was OBJ
tainable from petty sldrmishes at Frankfort.
We refer % che enlargement and prolonga-
ton Of the Prussian customs union (zol-
verein). which unless renewed was to have
terminated with the close Of 1868. The
aim'of the Vienna Government was to draw
this customs union into the sphere Of Aus
tria's power. Prussia. however. steadily
refused to consider the reconstruction OF
the union on the basis Of the admission Of
Austria and secretly won over the States
composing the Hanoverian customs union
(steuerverein) to agree to unite with the
Prussiap union from January, 1854. Some
Of the second rate Substantially Sa1ony
and Bavaria-threatened to form a new
zollverein with Austria with or without the
participation Of Prussia; but the prompt
reorganization Of the old zollverein In
November, 1882, by the last named Power.
in conjunction with Brunswick, the Thurin-
gian States and the States Of the former
steuerverein, coupled with the threat OF
exclusion in case Of contumacy, brought
the recusants 20 their lenses. Commercial
war with Prussia would have meant in
dustrial ruin to outstanding States, espe-
cially to Saxony. Thus it cameto pass that
the German Empire Of the future was pre-
figured in April, 1853, when the ~zollverein
was renewed for a period Of twelve years.
As It excluded Austria but included all
the other German States IL embraced an
area Of 1877 900 square miles and a popula-
ton Of nearly 80, 200, 900. About the same
time Prussia took another step in her up
ward career by planting her foot on the
North Sea coast, from which she had been
shut off by her compulsory surrender OF
East Frieelaud. InJuly, 1858, she acquired
from Oldenburg a small strip Of land on
the Bay Of Jade as a sitefor a naval harbor.
It will be remembered that during the
Crimean war Prussia sided neither with
Russia nor with the allies. The result
was that she won respect neither at home
nor abroad. She also lost prestige in 1857,
when her King, Frederick William, found
himself constrained to renounce his right
Of suzersinty over the principality Of Neu-
chatel. Prussia's new era began with
the accession of the Prince of Prussia
(afterward William ~ TO the regency in
October, lS5S-he did not become King until
January, 1881. Thenceforth a fresher breeze
breathed from Prussia over the other Ger
man States and her foreign policy also ad-
vanced with a firmer step. Thanks to Bis
marck, Prussia escaped the blunder Of sup
porting Austria in the Franco-Italian war OF
1850; had she complied with Austria's re-
quest the latter would have kept Lombardy
and Prussia would have had TO bear upon
the Rhine the whole brunt of the French
attack. The impression made upon the
German people by the events Of 1889 was
deep and wide. The halo of Austrian
strength, that since 1850 had daZzled many
eyes. paled before the exhibition Of weak
diplomacy and worse generalship; and in
the same proportion the eyes Of the friends
Of a united Fatherland we're again directed
toward Prussia as the State to which alone
dismembered Germany could look for the
defence Of its borders and its honor.
The next stage in the evolution of Prussia
was the Schleswig-Holstein war. which
ended, as is we'll known. with IN cession
by Denmark Of the duchies which were
the subjects of dispute to the Emperor of
Austria and the King of Prussia. In the
end Prussia got them, but it cost her the
war with Austria, which practically was
brought to a conclusion at Sadowa. The
victory at Sadowa could not have been
gained but for the reorganization and en-
largement OF the Prussian army, for which
the Berlin Chamber Of Deputies had refused
to supply the necessary funds. By pro-
curing the requisite money without the
sanction Of the chamber Bismarck, then
Prime Minister OF Prussia, undoubtedly
risked his head, but in view Of his ultimate
triumph and of his promotion Of Prussia
to the headship OF the North German Con-
federation. he was forgiven. For Austria,
too, the day at Sadowa was a turning point.
On that field not her army alone. but her
reactionary policy also suffered a decisive.
defeat The Emperor Francis Joseph
was persuaded to introduce a system oil
dualsm into his empire. and in February,
1867, the Hungarian Constitution was re-
habilitated, while the non-Hungarian lands.
embraced in a so-called Cisleithsn Kingdom,
also received a veritable Constitution.