aug 28, 1849 - New event

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Short version (for your timeline)
In 1849, the Frankfurt Parliament tried to create a unified Germany by offering the imperial crown to Frederick William IV of Prussia. He rejected it as a “dog collar,” refusing to accept a crown from revolutionaries. Without his support, the parliament collapsed, leaving only a powerless rump assembly in Stuttgart before the revolution was crushed.





1. The Frankfurt Parliament wanted a constitutional monarchy (1848–1849)
After meeting in May 1848, the Frankfurt Parliament spent months debating what a united Germany should look like.
Most delegates wanted:
- a constitutional monarchy
- with a limited king
- and a national constitution that restricted royal power
But they needed a monarch to sit at the top of this new German state.
So the question became:
Who should be the German emperor?
A Habsburg? A Hohenzollern? Someone else?
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2. Many delegates wanted a “small Germany” under Prussia
Austria was too large, too multi‑ethnic, and in chaos after 1848.
So many liberals decided the best option was:
A smaller, German‑only nation led by Prussia
with Frederick William IV as constitutional monarch.

This is the “small Germany” (Kleindeutschland) solution.
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3. Frederick William IV hated the idea
Frederick William IV believed in divine right monarchy.
He thought a crown offered by a revolutionary parliament was:
“a dog collar”
(meaning: a humiliating leash placed on him by revolutionaries)

He wanted to rule by God’s grace, not by the will of elected delegates.
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4. April 1849: The Frankfurt Parliament offers him the crown
On 3 April 1849, the Frankfurt Parliament formally offered him the title of:
“Emperor of the Germans.”
Frederick William IV stalled, saying he needed to consult all the princes first — a polite way of saying no.
Then he refused outright.
This refusal killed the entire project.
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5. Collapse of the Frankfurt Parliament (1849)
Without Prussia:
- the constitution had no enforcer
- the princes rejected it
- foreign powers ignored it
- delegates began to resign or flee
The remaining members — a tiny remnant — moved to Stuttgart in June 1849.
This is the “rump parliament” (a powerless leftover).
Württemberg troops dispersed it within days.
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6. Prussia’s own parliament collapses too
Prussia had its own revolutionary parliament (the Prussian National Assembly).
After Frederick William regained control, he dissolved it in May 1849, ending the last major revolutionary institution in Prussia.

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