A New Prussian Kick for the Frankfurt Assembly

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Author(s) Karl Marx
Written 15 May 1849


MIA-bannière.gif
Source: Marx-Engels Collected Works, Volume 9, p. 438;
First published: in the special supplement to the Neue Rheinische Zeitung No. 299, May 16, 1849
Collection(s): Neue Rheinische Zeitung
Keywords : Counter-Revolution, Germany, Parliament

Cologne, May 15. No sooner had the Holy Alliance of the knout imposed a brand-new state-of-siege Constitution on Prussia than it favoured us today with a second document of no less interest. Those nationally-assembled milksops of Frankfurt, who by their radical philistinism, cowardice and doltishness so faithfully assisted the paid traitors of the German people for a whole year in working for the counter-revolution, are now reaping what they sowed.[1] If it were possible for some glimmer of light to occur in the minds of our National Assembly deputies, and for their breasts to be filled not merely with indignation inspired by March beer, but at least with a small degree of revolutionary indignation and energy, then that ought to be effected by the following “royal order” of the subordinate knyaz in Charlottenburg[2]:

“ Royal Order
"We, Frederick William, by the grace of God King of Prussia etc. etc., hereby, on the proposal of our Ministry, order the following:

§1
"The mandate of the deputies elected in the Prussian state to the German National Assembly on the basis of the Decrees of the German Confederation of March 30 and April 7, 1848, and of Our Order of April 11, 1848, has ceased to be valid.

§2
"This Our present Order is to be put before the deputies by Our Plenipotentiary in Frankfurt am Main for their guidance and with the directive to refrain from any participation in the further proceedings of the Assembly.

“Given in Charlottenburg, May 14, 1849

Fredrick William
Count von Brandenburg, von Ladenberg, von Manteuffel,
von Strotha, von der Heydt, von Rabe, Simons”

  1. ↑ Marx’s prediction of the Frankfurt National Assembly’s inglorious end, which was brought about by its own compromise with and connivance in the counter-revolution, came true. In compliance with the orders of the Austrian, Prussian and other governments which recalled their deputies from Frankfurt, the Assembly’s liberal majority, scared by the uprisings in defence of the imperial Constitution and the possibility of a civil war, disavowed this Constitution — their own creation — and resigned. The moderate democrats who thus proved to be in the majority lacked the courage to join the insurgents and continued to cherish hopes of introducing a Constitution by peaceful means. Early in June 1849, when the threat of dissolution arose, the “rump” of the Assembly transferred its sittings to Stuttgart (Württemberg). The imperial regent, who took an openly counter-revolutionary stand, was replaced by a five-man imperial administration (Karl Vogt, Ludwig Simons and others) which, because of its refusal to take revolutionary measures and its wavering and equivocal policy, was a complete failure. On June 18, 1849, the “rump” was dispersed by Württemberg troops
  2. ↑ Charlottenburg — a royal palace in the town of the same name west of Berlin (it became a suburb in the twentieth century); built in 1695 for Sophia Charlotte, wife of the Great Elector of Brandenburg, it later became one of the residences of the Prussian kings and also a place of their burial
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