Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach - Augusta The Politician

Augusta The Politician

Augusta was very interested in politics and like so many other liberally-minded people of the time, she was hopeful about the accession of Friedrich Wilhelm IV, her brother-in-law, who was regarded as a modern and open King. However, the King refused to grant a constitution to Prussia and led a far more conservative government, unlike his liberal ideals during his years as Crown Prince. A "United Landtag" was created by the King in reaction to the crop failures and hunger revolts of 1847, but was soon dissolved a few months later. Prince Wilhelm was held responsible for the bloodshed of the March revolution in 1848, in Berlin and on the advice of the King, Wilhelm fled to London, and Augusta and their two children withdrew to Potsdam.

In liberal circles, an idea was seriously discussed on whether or not to force the King to abdicate, the Crown Prince renounce his rights to the throne, and instead have Augusta take up a regency for their son. Because the letters and diaries of that time were later destroyed by Augusta, it is not clear whether she seriously considered this option. After, in May 1848, 800 members of the German National Assembly met in the Frankfurter Paulskirche to discuss German unification and Prince Wilhelm returned from London the following month. A year later, in 1849, he was appointed Governor-General of the Rhine Province and in the spring of 1850, he and Augusta took up residence in Koblenz.