Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-07-16

At the signing of the Convention OF
Olmutz, Austria appeared for the last
time as the wielder of the hegemony
of Germany; the convention marked
the last stage of Prussia's descent IN
the scale of Germanic influence I'M
der Frederick William " and the be-
ginning of the rise of that nation to
the supreme Teutonlc power.
After the Congress of Vienna In
1915 there had been constituted the
Germanic confederation to take the
place of the defunct Holy Roman EN-
pire. 1t was more or less shadowy
affair, born in trouble and filled with
troubles to the end of It's days. In
this confederation Austria, backed by
the states of South Germany, had the
preponderance of power. The revolu-
tionary movement which swept Eu-
rope in 1S4S shook all Germany. In
Berlin Frederick William was obliged
to make terms With the rey2lgg ..l!9ll
and at one time the Austrian emperor
was driven from his capital only 10
TSluSldleu ny AOlNC VI
question of succession to the throne
of the duchies of Schleswig and hoi-
stein was in agitation and Prussia de-
clared war on Denmark. The Russian
car, who as representative of the ell
der branch of the former reigning
house of Gottorp, sovereigns of the
duchies, was personally interested,
and took a hand. Russia and Eng
land brought pressure to bear and
truce was arranged between Denmark
and Prussia while a conference met In
October, 1913, at London, to settle the
dispute. Denmark demanded that
both duchies should be "indissolubly
connected with the Danish crown.
Prussia refused to agree and on April
B. 1S49, the war was renewed.
Prussia Desired Peace.
But. harassed by the actions of the
confederated council at Frankfort,
Prussia desired peace, soon opened
direct negotiations with Denmark and
another truce was proclaimed on July
10. The rest of Germany, led by Aus
tria. declared this independent action
of Prussia a betrayal of the confed-
Grafton which claimed the duchies as
"reichland" The car said that the
right of the king of Denmark to the
duchies must be recognized; the Hol-
steiners-Holstein was prepmderating-
ly German-were rebels and If Den
mark could not restore order in that
duchy he could. Napoleon II alone
supported Prussia and, talking of
"the principle of natiOnalities," which
we have altered over into the phrase
"self-determinatiOn," made overtures
to Frederick William who, rather
than listen to "the devils nephew"
as he called Louis Napoleon, placed
himself in the hands of Russia; and
on July 2, 1850, definitive treaty
was signed between Prussia and Den
mark by which Schleswig was given to
Denmark and the king of Denmark
was recognized as duke of Holstein
and authorized to restore order III
that duchy.
Meantime, with the aid of RUSSIA
Austria had crushed the Hungarian
rebellion and was stronger than ever.
The outcome of the Danish war mao
been n humiliation for Prussia anu
Frederick William had formed q
league of Prussia, Hanover ana sax
ony, offensive and defensive.
Signed the Convention.
The alliance formed by PRUSSIA
from the first was insincere and soon
broke up, and a league of the four
kings of Saxony, Bavaria, Hanover
and Wurtemburg was formed against