The Punctation of Olomouc: Prussia vs Austria

A map showing Moravia in the 19th century

The Punctation of Olomouc: Prussia vs Austria

The small town of Olomouc in Moravia is the place were the issue of German unity became a sore point in the 19th century between expansionist Prussia and dominant Austria. This article looks at the power-play between the two, how Russia meddled in Europe and the events leading to the Punctation of Olomouc..

Background

The treaty of Paris in 1814 ended the Napoleonic wars. After this, ambassadors met for the Congress of Vienna to create a European peace plan1.

I’ve written about this treaty because this was how the British kept control of the Maltese islands.

This Congress was the first attempt to create a consensus-based international order2. This approach was rare in European history.

The Acts of the Congress of Vienna
The Acts of the Congress of Vienna
By JoJan – Own work, Public Domain, Link

One result of this Congress was the German Confederation3. This was an association of 39 German speaking states. They wanted to coordinate their economies4 5. This confederation replaced the Holy Roman Empire which had dissolved in 18066 and one of these states was the Kingdom of Bohemia.

From the beginning there was tension between Prussia and Austria7. Both wanted to be the German state that led all the others8.

As in any organisation, having two powerful rivals at the top wasn’t going to help anyone.

The 1848 revolutions

In 1848 a widespread wave of revolutions took place around Europe. In the confederation one call was for pan-Germanism and the creation of a single German state. On 1 May 1848 revolutionaries elected the first Parliament for the German states9 10. These revolutionaries were unlike the working-class revolutionaries in other countries, like France. They were educated and respected members of their communities11 12 13. In other words, this revolution was not fuelled by class hatred.

I’ve written about the 1848 revolution in Prague – the Pentecost Uprising.

A map showing the German Confederation
A map showing the German states and the German Union
By German_unified_1815_1871.jpg

The Parliament issued a Constitution based on parliamentary democracy and basic rights14 15. This constitution was later used as the basis of the Federal Republic of Germany in 194916.

The Erfurt Union

The Parliament collapsed when King Frederick William IV refused the crown and title of German Emperor17 18.

Prussia sensed an opportunity. Austria was busy reconquering Hungary and defending itself in Italy at the time19. It adopted a policy of asserting itself against Prussia, but didn’t defend itself against Prussian domination20. The other states owed their existence to Prussian armed support. This meant Prussia was in a unique position to call the shots21.

Prussia proposed a federation of German states called the Erfurter Union22 23. It wasn’t well received24. Under heavy Prussian pressure, 28 states recognised it but were not happy with it25. They boycotted the first elections and with less than 50% participation, its Parliament had no legitimacy26. 

A portrait of Tsar Nicholas
Tsar Nicholas
Attributed to Iwan Winberg, Public Domain

What Prussia had not realised was that the German Princes were not united in favour of a German nation, but were united in their fear of Prussia in the absence of Austria27.

When Austria sorted out its own problems in Italy it renewed its anti-Prussian stance28. Austria was keen to return to the German confederation and to make sure they dominated it29.  On 1 September 1849, Austria unilaterally declared the revival of the German Confederation30.

Austria had allied itself with the Russians, which was against any German unification. Tsar Nicholas joined forces with Austria because he wanted to avoid a strong Prussia31.

On 5 November 1850 the Prussians mobilised troops in Bavaria to intervene in an internal matter32 33. Austria moved troops into Bohemia to counter this move34 35. It’s likely Austria wanted war to solve the matter once and for all. Russia forbade this – it didn’t want an Austrian-dominated Germany as much as it didn’t want a Prussian-dominated Germany36 37. Prussian nobility also saw a war was unwise and supported Austria’s call for a return to the German confederation38.

A map showing Moravia in the 19th century at the time of the Punctation of Olomouc
Map of Moravia in the 19th Century
By David Liuzzo – Own work / including Coat of arms of Moravia
(altered to depict blazon of the 19th century., CC BY-SA 3.0, Link)

The Punctation of Olomouc

On 29 November 1850, Prussia and Austria sat together in Olomouc in Moravia to sign a preliminary contract to reanimate the German Confederation. This preliminary contract is known as the Punctation of Olomouc39 40. In Prussia, this was reported – and called – the humiliation of Olomouc41 42. After this, Prussia gave up on the idea of a German union43 until 1867.

This little town was where German-speaking and German-controlled states decided their own future.

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References

  1. The Congress of Vienna 1814-1815; Tim Chapman; Routledge; Nov 22, 2006[↩]
  2. The Congress of Vienna 1814-1815; Tim Chapman; Routledge; Nov 22, 2006[↩]
  3. Constitutional history of Germany; ConstitutionNET; (Retrieved 2019-09-17) [↩]
  4. Constitutional history of Germany; ConstitutionNET; (Retrieved 2019-09-17) [↩]
  5. Frankfurt National Assembly; Encyclopaedia Britannica; 2014-05-19[↩]
  6. Constitutional history of Germany; ConstitutionNET; (Retrieved 2019-09-17) [↩]
  7. The course of German history, a survey of the development of Germany since 1815; A. J. P Taylor; H Hamilton, London; 1945[↩]
  8. The course of German history, a survey of the development of Germany since 1815; A. J. P Taylor; H Hamilton, London; 1945[↩]
  9. Frankfurt National Assembly; Encyclopaedia Britannica; 2014-05-19[↩]
  10. The course of German history, a survey of the development of Germany since 1815; A. J. P Taylor; H Hamilton, London; 1945[↩]
  11. Frankfurt National Assembly; Encyclopaedia Britannica; 2014-05-19[↩]
  12. The course of German history, a survey of the development of Germany since 1815; A. J. P Taylor; H Hamilton, London; 1945[↩]
  13. The Frankfurt Parliament, 1848-1849; Frank Eyck; Academy of Political Science; 1970[↩]
  14. Frankfurt National Assembly; Encyclopaedia Britannica; 2014-05-19[↩]
  15. A History of Modern Europe: From the French Revolution to the Present; Merriman, John, (Retrieved 2019-09-17) [↩]
  16. Constitutional history of Germany; ConstitutionNET; (Retrieved 2019-09-17) [↩]
  17. Frankfurt National Assembly; Encyclopaedia Britannica; 2014-05-19[↩]
  18. The course of German history, a survey of the development of Germany since 1815; A. J. P Taylor; H Hamilton, London; 1945[↩]
  19. The course of German history, a survey of the development of Germany since 1815; A. J. P Taylor; H Hamilton, London; 1945[↩]
  20. The course of German history, a survey of the development of Germany since 1815; A. J. P Taylor; H Hamilton, London; 1945[↩]
  21. The course of German history, a survey of the development of Germany since 1815; A. J. P Taylor; H Hamilton, London; 1945[↩]
  22. Erfurter Union; James Chastain; Encyclopaedia of 1848 revolutions; 2004[↩]
  23. Germans, Germany and Unification before Bismarck; Dr Bruce Waller; 1998-09[↩]
  24. Erfurter Union; James Chastain; Encyclopaedia of 1848 revolutions; 2004[↩]
  25. Erfurter Union; James Chastain; Encyclopaedia of 1848 revolutions; 2004[↩]
  26. Erfurter Union; James Chastain; Encyclopaedia of 1848 revolutions; 2004[↩]
  27. The course of German history, a survey of the development of Germany since 1815; A. J. P Taylor; H Hamilton, London; 1945[↩]
  28. The course of German history, a survey of the development of Germany since 1815; A. J. P Taylor; H Hamilton, London; 1945[↩]
  29. The course of German history, a survey of the development of Germany since 1815; A. J. P Taylor; H Hamilton, London; 1945[↩]
  30. A History of Modern Europe: From the French Revolution to the Present; Merriman, John, (Retrieved 2019-09-17) [↩]
  31. The course of German history, a survey of the development of Germany since 1815; A. J. P Taylor; H Hamilton, London; 1945[↩]
  32. The course of German history, a survey of the development of Germany since 1815; A. J. P Taylor; H Hamilton, London; 1945[↩]
  33. A History of Modern Europe: From the French Revolution to the Present; Merriman, John, (Retrieved 2019-09-17) [↩]
  34. The course of German history, a survey of the development of Germany since 1815; A. J. P Taylor; H Hamilton, London; 1945[↩]
  35. A History of Modern Europe: From the French Revolution to the Present; Merriman, John, (Retrieved 2019-09-17) [↩]
  36. The course of German history, a survey of the development of Germany since 1815; A. J. P Taylor; H Hamilton, London; 1945[↩]
  37. A History of Modern Europe: From the French Revolution to the Present; Merriman, John, (Retrieved 2019-09-17) [↩]
  38. The course of German history, a survey of the development of Germany since 1815; A. J. P Taylor; H Hamilton, London; 1945[↩]
  39. The course of German history, a survey of the development of Germany since 1815; A. J. P Taylor; H Hamilton, London; 1945[↩]
  40. A History of Modern Europe: From the French Revolution to the Present; Merriman, John, (Retrieved 2019-09-17) [↩]
  41. The course of German history, a survey of the development of Germany since 1815; A. J. P Taylor; H Hamilton, London; 1945[↩]
  42. A History of Modern Europe: From the French Revolution to the Present; Merriman, John, (Retrieved 2019-09-17) [↩]
  43. Germans, Germany and Unification before Bismarck; Dr Bruce Waller; 1998-09[↩]
Remember: links were correct at time of publication.

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