The Prussian Constitutional Crisis of 1862
- Created by: maddieechiltonn
- Created on: 14-04-22 13:08
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- Prussian Constitutional Crisis of 1862
- Prussian Army Reform
- Mobilised in 1859, the army was found to be in need of reform
- Wilhelm I appointed von Roon as Minister of War to reform the army
- Number of recruits for the army had not increased since the 1820s
- Despite the doubling of Prussia's population
- Large numbers escaped military service
- Service in the army WAS:
- 2 years in regular army
- 2 years in the reserve
- 14 years in the Landwehr
- Von Roon proposed an increase in the annual intake to 63,000
- The creation of 39 infantry and 10 cavalry regiments
- service was now to be:
- 3 years in regular army
- 5 years in reserves
- 11 years in the Landwehr
- The Landwehr
- Officered by the middle class
- Force of part time soldiers
- Nicknamed the 'people's army'
- Not under direct control of the King
- Liberals were unhappy with reforms because:
- Constricted them to the army for longer
- Reforms would be expensive
- Didn't want more control from the King and the state
- Reduction in the role of the Landwehr
- Opposition
- Constitution allowed the King to ignore opposition
- Von Roon went ahead with the reforms
- Led to a split in the Liberal opposition
- The Progressives emerged in Dec. 1861 and became the largest party in the lower house
- Constitution allowed the King to ignore opposition
- Officered by the middle class
- The Progressives
- Saw an opportunity to force the King into constitutional reforms to increase power of Parliament
- They refused to approve the extra money needed for army reforms
- Challenge to the King's authority:
- As Commander in Chief, he would not allow interference in army matters
- As King, he would not be dictated to
- Under the Constitution, taxation and expenditure required parliamentary approval
- He considered abdication
- Wilhelm appointed Bismarck as Minister-President of Prussia in 1862
- He ignored parliament opposition
- He illegally collected taxes and introduced army reforms
- He curtailed the freedom of the press
- Saw an opportunity to force the King into constitutional reforms to increase power of Parliament
- Prussian Army Reform
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