Economically a lot happened in the German States between 1815 and 1848. The Industrial Revolution affected the whole of Europe. Cities and towns were starting to grow due to the increasing amount of people needing jobs. The population was growing rapidly as was trade and industry. The fact that the Industrial Revolution was happening between the period of 1815 to 1848 is enough to disagree with Bismarck’s opinion.
Prussia saw Britain growing richer and more powerful and wanted to follow in her footsteps. For wealth and success Prussia needed transport, resources and trade. To gain these Prussia pushed forward and created a customs union called the Zollverein.
The flow of trade was a problem in the German States. Barriers such as customs duties, languages and different types of currency prevented Prussia having a good trade system. So in 1818 Prussia completely abolished customs duties between places in her territory. The large, trading group expanded and was proving to be very successful. Raw materials from outside the country were not taxed but products were taxed ten percent. This was so produce made in Prussia was cheaper and therefore more people would buy it. This system meant Prussia was becoming rich, powerful and the dominating German State. Her power increased tremendously in the period of 1815 to 1848. By 1836 the Zollverein included 25 German States and had a population of 26million people. Good roads and railways were built between the states and a lot was happening for the unity of Germany. This Customs Union was a great boon to industrialisation and had far-reaching implication for future political unification.
Austria refused to join the Zollverein and did not realise the political importance of it. They later suggested a new union called the Zollunion between Austria and the Zollverein. Austria also wanted to control this but was later excluded from the others altogether. The Zollverein assisted the industrial development of Germany and encouraged Prussian leadership in Germany at the expense of Austria. By 1848 a lot had happened and Prussia seemed to be the main economic power in Germany. Once the German States had taken this big step they wanted to push the idea forward and take it further and unite. Austria often got in the way and prevented this from happening.
Throughout the period in which Germany was split into different, independent states it seems that Austria was the leader of them all. Austria always presided over the Diet and had far more votes than anyone else. This gave them a larger say on the subject of German Nationalism. They did not want Germany to unite, as it would mean they would lose power and their domination over the German Confederation. One man in particular who did not want this to happen was the Austrian Chancellor Metternich.
Metternich was resistant to any change and was determined to keep everything in its place. In 1819 Metternich held a meeting at Carlsbad with some representatives from the German States. They drafted a number of decrees for the suppression of Liberalism throughout the German Confederation. Some smaller states opposed these decrees better known as the Carlsbad Decrees. However, they were adopted by the entire Confederation at the Frankfurt Diet. This ensured Metternich that all the states would maintain the old order and therefore discourage change. Anyone caught under suspicion of Liberal activity would be imprisoned or sent into exile. This restrained German States from political nationalism. There is no doubt Austria slowed down the process of German Unification. The Carlsbad Decrees seem to be the only evidence to support Bismarck’s view that nothing happened between 1815 and 1848.
Bismarck probably came to his decision that nothing happened as a lot happened after 1848 such as many feuds and wars. Also, Austria did not dominate the German States half as much after 1848 as she had previously. There were no “official” markings in history such as wars to say that a lot happened in Germany between 1815 and 1848 but I still strongly disagree with Bismarck.
The events that led to German Unification before 1848 were far more subtle as supposed to those afterwards. After assessing that period in Germany I believe that many important events happened. If the Romantic Movement, Industrial Revolution and the Zollverein did not happen then Germany would be a far longer way from uniting. These events make it extremely difficult to say that nothing happened as does the despotic Metternich and domineering Austria. Also, the emergence of Prussia and its rapid increasing power between 1815 and 1848 is proof that something did happen. In conclusion, I believe that the many events, which happened, were extremely important in the history of Germany and enough to not support Bismarck’s view that the period from 1815 to 1848 was a time when nothing happened.
