Conclusion

Abstract

The years following the Fürstentag proved Russell’s gloomy prediction right. Circulars, conferences and constitutional drafts – the useless tools of Germany’s barren politics since 1849 – were swept away by gunfire. By 1863, British diplomats and journalists had observed, analysed and commented on political reforms and the question of national unity in Germany for more than three decades. Now they had to widen their briefs and take on the duties of war correspondents. While many older British criteria and convictions remained important, the advent of war marked the beginning of a qualitatively new phase in German politics. 1863 therefore provides a good vantage point from which to review a distinct period of British perceptions of the German question. This concluding discussion will consider British views on the necessity and direction of political change in Germany, on its different agents, and lastly on the manner of its implementation.