Two Powers on the Sidelines of Asian Expansion

While European colonial powers carved up territories across Asia during the mid-19th century, two Central European states remained conspicuously absent from these imperial adventures. Austria and Prussia, despite their continental influence, focused inward during what historians term the “Era of Reaction” following the revolutionary upheavals of 1848-1849. This period saw both powers prioritize domestic consolidation and economic policy over foreign expansion, setting the stage for their divergent futures in German unification.

Austria’s Neo-Absolutist Experiment

Under the leadership of Prince Felix zu Schwarzenberg and his successor Count Karl Ferdinand von Buol-Schauenstein after April 1852, the Habsburg Empire embarked on a remarkable political regression. Vienna resurrected a form of neo-absolutism reminiscent of Joseph II’s enlightened despotism, characterized by bureaucratic centralization that proved particularly controversial in its multi-ethnic empire.

The Austrian administration pursued two particularly contentious policies that would have lasting consequences. First, they enforced German as the mandatory administrative language across all territories, a move that deliberately antagonized both Slavic populations and Hungarians. Second, in a surprising departure from Joseph II’s secularizing reforms, the 1855 Concordat granted sweeping privileges to the Roman Catholic Church, including full judicial authority for bishops within their dioceses and control over Catholic education.

Prussia’s Feudal-Bureaucratic Hybrid

Meanwhile, Prussia developed its own distinctive version of reactionary politics under Prime Minister Otto von Manteuffel’s eight-year administration (1850-1858). The Prussian approach blended neo-feudal elements with bureaucratic control in what might be termed “authoritarian modernization.”

The government rolled back several 1848 revolutionary reforms, including:
– Reinstating manorial police powers
– Reintroducing entail systems (keeping estates intact through male inheritance)
– Restoring provincial diets with guaranteed noble majorities
– Reforming the upper house to favor aristocratic interests

Simultaneously, Prussia expanded its surveillance apparatus, introduced special legal procedures for political offenses, and implemented press restrictions according to the 1854 German Confederation laws. Enforcement varied across German states, with Hanover applying the measures most rigorously and Baden maintaining relative leniency.

The Economic Battleground: Customs Union Diplomacy

Austria’s foreign policy under Buol-Schauenstein focused intensely on creating a Central European economic zone through customs unions. This vision, originally outlined in memoranda by Commerce Minister Karl Ludwig von Bruck in 1849-1850, sought to unite the Habsburg Empire with the German Customs Union (Zollverein).

Prussia, however, fiercely guarded its economic leadership in non-Austrian German territories. The Hohenzollern state successfully pressured medium-sized powers to renew the Customs Union treaty for twelve years in 1854, incorporating Hanover and other Tax Union members. This strategic victory allowed Prussia to avenge its political humiliation at Olmütz in 1850, when Austria had forced Prussia to abandon its union plans.

The Prussian Turning Point: Regency and Reform

The political landscape shifted dramatically in 1857 when King Frederick William IV began showing signs of severe mental illness. After initial three-month regency periods, his brother William formally assumed power in October 1858 through constitutional procedures, marking the beginning of Prussia’s “New Era.”

As regent, Prince William immediately broke with Manteuffel’s hardline conservatism. He appointed a liberal-conservative cabinet nominally led by Prince Karl Anton of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen but effectively directed by moderate liberal Rudolf von Auerswald, who had briefly led Prussia’s government during the 1848 revolution.

The new government’s November 1858 declaration became a landmark in Prussian history. William called for:
– Separation of religion from political manipulation
– Educational reforms to maintain Prussia’s intellectual leadership
– Foreign policy balancing independence with international cooperation
– “Moral conquests” through progressive legislation
– Military reforms to strengthen Prussia’s geopolitical position

Electoral Winds of Change

The 1858 elections under Prussia’s three-class voting system saw moderate liberals emerge victorious. While radical leftists remained cautious, the political climate had clearly shifted. The strongest parliamentary faction, led by Baron Georg von Vincke (a former conservative), adopted the motto “Don’t push too hard!” reflecting their willingness to support gradual reform without destabilizing the government.

Key personnel changes followed, including the replacement of Prussia’s Confederation envoy with moderate liberal diplomat Karl von Usedom. Most notably, Otto von Bismarck was reassigned to St. Petersburg – a move that appeared to sideline the ambitious statesman, though his detailed discussions with the regent in January 1859 suggested future political opportunities.

Legacy of the Reactionary Decade

The 1848-1858 period proved crucial for both Central European powers. Austria’s neo-absolutism and confessional policies exacerbated ethnic tensions that would eventually contribute to the empire’s dissolution. Prussia, meanwhile, used these years to consolidate economic dominance and lay groundwork for constitutional monarchy, setting the stage for Bismarck’s later unification policies.

The “New Era” under Prince Regent William didn’t represent a clean break with Prussia’s authoritarian traditions, but it did create space for pragmatic reforms that would make the Hohenzollern state more adaptable to coming challenges. As Europe moved toward the national unifications and conflicts of the 1860s, these two Central European powers had taken fundamentally different paths – one looking backward to imperial glory, the other preparing for German leadership under Prussian hegemony.