Troublous Times
On June 7, 1840, that sorely tried monarch Frederick William Third, who
had borne so much with and for his people, breathed his last, and the
Crown Prince ascended the throne as Frederick William Fourth, William
receiving the title of Prince of Prussia as had that brother of
Frederick the Great who afterward succeeded him, thus being raised to
the rank and dignity of a Crown Prince, for the marriage of Frederick
William Fourth was childless.
On June 11 the body of the deceased King was laid to rest in the
mausoleum at Charlottenburg beside that of his noble and much-lamented
Queen. And now began a period of ferment, difficult to understand by
those not directly concerned in it or its after effects. Even at the
time of the War of Liberation a feeling of discontent had begun to show
itself among the people of Germany at the condition of affairs created
by the allies at the so-called Congress of Vienna in 1814-1815. There
was an ever-increasing demand for popular representation in the
legislature, what is now called the Diet or House of Deputies, and also
a closer consolidation of the national strength and resources, such as
would be afforded by a German Confederation for the purpose of restoring
the Empire to its old power and importance. These ideas, as yet but
half-formed and visionary, were agitated, especially by the youth of
Germany, with a spirit and enthusiasm that appeared so dangerous to the
existing order of things as to require suppression. At the time of the
French Revolution of 1830, they began to assume more definite form,
though under the paternal rule of Frederick William Third no general
movement was attempted by his subjects. With the accession of Frederick
William Fourth, however, the time seemed to have come to demand the
exchange of an absolute monarchy for a constitutional form of
government, and also, perhaps, the reëstablishment of the German Empire;
but in both respects their hopes were doomed to disappointment. The
King’s refusal to grant the people a voice in the government was as firm
as his rejection of the offer of an imperial throne. His action aroused
a deep feeling of dissatisfaction throughout the country, which was
increased by several years of bad crops and famine, until at last the
French Revolution of 1848 lighted the torch of insurrection in Germany
also.
Frederick William Fourth had already assigned to his brother, the Prince
of Prussia, the responsible post of guardian of the Rhine, and at the
outbreak of these disturbances he made him Governor General of the
Rhenish provinces and Westphalia. Before the Prince had left Berlin,
however, the uprising had spread to that city also, so he remained in
close attendance upon the King, taking a leading part in his councils as
first Minister of State. Frederick William Fourth was much disturbed by
such an unheard-of state of affairs in Prussia, and possibly failed to
appreciate the significance of the outbreak, but rather than come to
open conflict with his people he had all the troops sent away from
Berlin. Bitter as the recollection must be, it remains a lasting honor
to the Prussian army that this trying order was obeyed without a murmur
or complaint, and adds another laurel to those since won on many a
hard-fought field. The removal of the troops gave the insurgents free
scope for a time, and the efforts of the leaders to direct the anger of
the deluded populace against the army, that stanch and loyal bulwark of
the throne, resulted in setting the turbulent masses against the Prince
of Prussia likewise, who was well known as the army’s most zealous
friend and patron. They even went so far as to threaten to set fire to
his palace, but a few patriotic citizens succeeded in restraining them
at the critical moment. To avoid any further occasion for such excesses,
the King sent his brother away to England, where he remained until the
storm had subsided, returning in May, 1848, to Babelsberg, where he
spent several months in retirement. The King was finally forced to
recall the troops, then under the command of General von Wrangel, to
quell the tumult in Berlin, and shortly afterwards Prussia was given its
present constitution, by which the people were granted a chamber of
representatives.
The insurrection of 1848, meanwhile, had spread throughout the country
and led to a revolution in Baden, which overthrew the existing
government and assumed such serious proportions that the Grand Duke
besought the help of King Frederick William Fourth, who at once
despatched his brother, the Prince of Prussia, to Baden with an army. It
was William’s first experience as a commander.
In June, 1849, he proceeded from Mainz to the Palatinate of Bavaria,
where he was welcomed with open arms by the inhabitants. With the
assistance of his gallant young nephew Frederick Charles, he soon
quickly crushed the insurgents who were besieging the Palatinate and
pushed on across the Rhine to Baden, where in a succession of
engagements he proved an inspiring example of coolness and courage to
his enthusiastic troops. After the fight at Durlach, the townspeople
brought out bread and wine for the victorious Prussians. The Prince was
also offered a piece of bread, which he was about to eat with relish
when he saw a hungry soldier watching him with longing glances. Quickly
breaking it in two he held out half to the man, saying kindly, “Here,
comrade, take some too!”
It was by such acts as this that he won the devotion of his soldiers. On
June 25 he entered the capital, Carlsruhe, and was hailed with joy by
the citizens, while the leader of the rebellion retired to the castle of
Rastall, where, after a few more unsuccessful resistances, the greater
part of the insurgents also took refuge. The Prince immediately laid
siege to the place, and with such good results that on July 23 it
surrendered at discretion, and the Prussians took possession the same
day. On August 18 the Grand Duke of Baden returned to his capital,
accompanied by the Prince of Prussia, to whom he gave public thanks as
the restorer of order in the country, and soon after William set out on
his return to Berlin, where he was welcomed with enthusiasm by his
family, the populace, and above all by the army.
His duties as military governor of Westphalia and the provinces of the
Rhine required him to take up his residence at Coblentz, where he
remained till 1857, with occasional journeys made in the interest of the
service or for the government. These were unsettled and not very
pleasant times, for Austria was perpetually seeking to undermine the
power of Prussia and more than once the sword was loosened in its
sheath. But there were bright spots also in the lives of the princely
pair, such as the marriage of their daughter Louise to the Grand Duke of
Baden. Another favorite wish was gratified by the alliance of Prince
Frederick with the Princess Royal, Victoria of England, in 1857. Fresh
troubles occurred in this year also, for on the occasion of some army
manœuvres at Giebichenstein, King Frederick William Fourth was stricken
with apoplexy and his brother was appointed to represent him at the head
of the government. At first it was hoped that the trouble might be
relieved, and the arrangement was made for three months only; but the
apoplectic fits continued at intervals, and at the end of a year,
finding his condition worse rather than improved, the King was forced to
make the Prince of Prussia Regent of the kingdom. Four years later
Frederick William Fourth was released from his sufferings, and his
brother ascended the throne of Prussia as William First.