The Political Situation--The Schleswig-Holstein Question--The War
of 1866
The sixties were in political respects a time fraught with fate for
the German people.
The future Emperor Wilhelm I.--"der Siegeskaiser," as he was
called--had in 1861 succeeded his romantic, and in the end, insane
brother, Friedrich Wilhelm IV., as King of Prussia. The year afterwards
Bismarck was constituted the leader of Prussian politics. He had
long borne within him the scheme for the federation of the German
states under the Prussian sceptre; and his political watch-word
was, as we know, "iron and blood." In 1863 an opportunity occurred
for the great statesman to take the first step on his projected
way. The Danish King, Frederik VII., had died, and as a consequence
of this the Schleswig-Holstein question had peremptorily come to the
fore. Bismarck invited the hereditary enemy, Austria, to go hand
in hand with Prussia in her war against Denmark. In the situation
brought about by this war the position of the medium-sized and small
states of Germany became serious, and the neutrality which they had
adopted became more and more untenable. Bavaria had kept outside
the struggle in the Schleswig-Holstein question. Its then reigning
Monarch, Maximilian II., had made an attempt to negotiate between
the conflicting parties, and shortly before his death endeavoured to
mediate in favour of the Duke of Agustenborg's claims.
Matters had by this time entered on a new stage: the two great
powers could not agree as to the prize gained by the conquest. Dark
storm-clouds gathered, threatening a more far-reaching and bloody
issue than the Schleswig-Holstein one. Ludwig II. desired to take
up the thankless part of peacemaker, and follow in his father's
footsteps. This was of no avail, for Bismarck wished for a decision
of the question whether Prussia or Austria should play first violin,
and a war was a necessary link in his scheme. Bavaria in general, and
the King in particular, seem long to have considered it possible that
the storm might abate without the shedding of blood. Nevertheless he
issued orders on the 10th of May, 1866, for the mobilisation of the
Bavarian army.
On the 22nd of May, at Schloss Hohenschwangau, one of the Ministers
held a lecture before him on the position of affairs. Ludwig went
a turn in the park with his counsellor, and parted from him with
manifestations of friendliness, after having offered him a cigar. The
Minister had hardly taken his departure before Ludwig mounted a
horse, and rode off, accompanied by a single groom. He galloped to
the railway station of Biessenhofen, reached Lindau unrecognised,
and passed thence unnoticed into Switzerland. The journey concerned
Richard Wagner, who was living at his villa "Triebchen," close
to Lucerne, and whom he wished to congratulate on the occasion of
his birthday. The Landsturm was meanwhile about to be called out in
Bavaria, and the King's signature was required. Not a syllable as to
his intended excursion had crossed his lips while he had been talking
to the Minister. When the latter again returned to Hohenschwangau,
his Majesty had disappeared. Inquiries were made; but no one knew
whither he had ridden, or how long he intended to be away. After
a time tracks were found leading to the lake of Lucerne, and it
was discovered that two riders, late at night, had been admitted to
Richard Wagner's villa. There was no longer any doubt as to where he
was to be sought. The Premier telegraphed to Wagner that the King's
presence in Bavaria was necessary. Ludwig at once went back to Lindau,
whither the royal train was sent to meet him. It is true that he had
been absent only a few days, but not without reason this excursion
was looked upon with great disfavour. His gratuitous disappearance
at such a critical moment was commented on and criticised in foreign
and Bavarian newspapers. The only circumstance to explain and excuse
his conduct was his youthful confidence that his kingdom would not
be involved in the struggle.
On the 27th of May he opened the Chamber in person, expressing in the
Speech from the Throne the hope, which he would not yet relinquish,
that Germany might be spared a sister war. This was, however, on the
eve of breaking out.
The sympathies of Bavaria were on the side of Austria, and on the 14th
of June a military alliance was concluded with that country. The same
day Prussia declared in Dresden, Hanover, and Cassel its ultimatum:
Alliance or war! The Grand Duke of Hesse, who would not allow Prussia
"to put a pistol to his breast," was a Prussian prisoner of state
five days later. King George of Hanover declared himself, "as a
Christian, a monarch, and a Guelph," to be against Prussia. But so
rapid was the Prussian advance that the Hanoverian troops surrendered
without conditions on the 29th of June, in spite of their victory
at Langensalza.
On the 16th of June the war broke out in Bavaria. Austria had
undertaken, in an agreement with this country, not to conclude peace
on her own account. On the 25th of June Ludwig went for a day to the
headquarters of the army, at Bamberg. He issued a proclamation to
his troops, in which he said, "I do not bid you farewell; my thoughts
will be with you,"
He left the command of the army to his father's uncle, Field Marshal
Prince Karl, then seventy-one years of age, who, together with
Prince Alexander of Hesse, led the troops of Bavaria, Würtemberg,
Baden-Baden, and Hesse--the so-called reichs-armée, which consisted
of nearly a hundred thousand men. In spite of his bravery and his
military experience from the wars of Napoleon the Great, in which he
had taken part, Prince Karl could do nothing against the dissensions
of the allied troops, which hastened the enemy's victory. The Prussians
conquered the reichs-armée in a number of small battles.
Inactive, powerless, Ludwig was witness from his capital of the defeat
of his faithful soldiers. His people were a vanquished people, and
himself a vanquished King. Austria concluded peace with Prussia in
Nikolsburg without paying any regard to the fate of her ally. Bavaria
now also concluded peace. She did not lose any province, had only
to renounce a strip of country hardly worth mentioning; but she was
compelled to pay thirty millions of guldens for the expenses of the
war. The Bavarian troops went each in their own direction. The war
had lasted a month, but this month had been long enough to lay fields
and woods bare, and to fill thousands of hearts with loss and sorrow.