The Failure of German Liberalism

The failure of German liberalism can be attributed in part Austrian Prince Klemens von Metternich and German chancellor Otto von Bismarck. In the years following the French Revolution the monarchies of Europe tried to promoted conservative views in order to justify their rule. Metternich foresaw the spread of liberalism from the American and French revolution as a giant threat. With the Carlsbad Decrees issued in 1819, he sought to repress the spread of liberal ideas by heavily regulating and censoring newspapers throughout Austria and the German states. In this document he also set guidel…