The Frankfurt Parliament
- Created by: maddieechiltonn
- Created on: 14-04-22 14:03
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- The Frankfurt Parliament
- The Declaration of Heidelberg
- News of revolution in Paris (Feb. 1848) brought liberals and radicals together
- Representatives from 6 states discussed urgent changes to German political institutions on a national basis
- An assembly, the Vorparlament, met at the end of February
- The Vorparlament
- Met at Frankfurt as it was the meeting place of the Diet
- 574 representatives met in St. Pauls Church were, after 4 days, they reached an agreement on how to elect a parliament
- 1 representative per every 50,000 people
- States left to decide who was an economical independent citizen
- The qualification to vote
- Elections
- Most sate elections were indirect
- Voters elected 'electors' who chose representatives
- Of 596 members, the vast majority were middle class
- 80% held university degrees
- Made composition moderate and liberal
- Parliament was elected in littler over a month
- Most sate elections were indirect
- Aims
- The new Germany should have a much stronger central government
- Central government must have more control over the actions of the states
- To create a constitution that included:
- Equality before the law
- Freedom of worship
- Freedom of the press
- Wanted to unify Germany under one central government
- Challenges
- New Parliament became unable to agree a new constitution
- Lacked the discipline provided by political parties and strong leadership
- Ministers could do little as they had no staff
- Became a 'talking shop'
- Lacked the discipline provided by political parties and strong leadership
- Territorial Problems
- Some speaking lands lay outside the Confederation
- Parliament was divided between those who wanted a Prussian led Kleindeutschland and those who wanted an Austrian led Grossdeutschland
- Some parts of Austria and Prussia were not included
- The Parliament didn't have an army
- Its power remained more theory than fact
- Never fully accepted by states
- New Parliament became unable to agree a new constitution
- The Declaration of Heidelberg
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