Hello due to my faults during writing "Kaiserreich 1848 TL" and my laziness I am going to try one more time, but this time i prepared myself better. So, watch this thread carefully.
Friedrich Wilhelm IV was king of Prussia since 1840. He was born in 1795 and was witness of the Napoleonic wars - Prussia was humiliated, Holy Roman Empire was dissolved and later proud Corsican was defeated and forced into exile. He served in army in 1814 although he was an indifferent soldier. He was interested in architecture and landscape. He was a patron to many German artists such as architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel and the composer Felix Mendelssohn. Friedrich Wilhelm was a staunch Romanticist but during Napoleonic wars he learnt much about motto: Liberté, égalité, fraternité and quietly supported liberal poets. According to "History of Democratic Germany" written by famous historian Georg Hermann von Hohenzollern-Altmark in 1981 in his childhood he was tutored by Helmuth Hoose who was quietly supporter of the national liberal idea. Thanks to him young king of Prussia toned down the reactionary policies pursued by his father, removed censorship and promising enacting new constitution. Despite this promises it will take nine years to enact constitution. During 1840-48 several liberal newspapers was created and many supporters of this ideology created societes which demanded greater freedom for people, enacting democratic regime [parliamentarian monarchy or even republic]. Several reactionary movements organized by aristocrats who want restore order demanded greater power to them and reducing liberal reforms.
On February 1848 revolutionists in France forced king to abdicate and established Second Republic. It was shocking news in Germany, many students supported this idea in Germany, there were several clashes between demonstrators and Prussian police. Many cities fell into anarchy, middle class citizens in Prussia were committed to liberal principles, working class sought radical improvements to their working and living conditions. They merged their forces and issued an "April Declaration" in many Prussian newspapers in which they called king to fulfill his promises about liberalization of a country. On 16 April first Preußische Nationalversammlung [PNV] was called by king to proceedings in Sing-Akademie zu Berlin. After few days of organizing few political factions were established:
Nationalliberale-Fraktion - strongest faction which were stronghold of the constitutional monarchy supporters with strong king position. They originated from lower aristocracy and middle class citizens. They achieved 183 seats.
Demokratische Liberale - second faction in PNV. Originated from middle class citizens they are union of the parliamentarian monarchy and republic supporters with strong position of the bicameral parliament. They achieved 120 seats.
Konservative-Fraktion - faction which advocates strong position of the king with secondary role of parliament composed of aristocracy. They originated from aristocracy. They achieved 83 seats.
Süddeutschland Fraktion-Fraktion - faction originated from catholics in southern Germany. They advocates uniting Germany [some of them agrees that it should be under Prussian regime rest wants Austrian rule]. They achieved 56 seats.
PNV numbered 442 representatives. On 16 May they enacted "Berliner Konstitution" signed by king.
Discussions about new constitution were long and controversial - radical liberals demanded republic with president and prime minister chosen by people in general elections, less radical liberals demanded elective monarchy or even directory government under Kanzler chosen by parliament. Finally national liberals demanded hereditary monarchy supported by Konservative-Fraktion. It passed with 266 votes against 176.
Second issue was parliament - radicals demanded strong parliament chosen by elections, conservatives demanded parliament composed from aristocracy and chosen by king. These factions were reconciled by national liberals whose proposed bicameral parliament - one chosen by king and second chosen by people in elections. New constitution confirmed freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion.
Prussian lowerhouse parliament [500 members] is chosen in single-member districts by all males above 23 every 5 years. Party with the largest number of votes wins elections and their leader is appointed as Präsident [leader of the lowerhouse parliament]. Upperhouse [500 members] is chosen from dukes, archbishops and aristocracy by king every 5 years. Leader of upperhouse is called Kanzler and is chosen by king. He is also Prime Minister of the kingdom of Prussia.
Successfull revolution in Prussia encouraged students in smaller German states to demonstrating. In Baden government was forced to establish bicameral parliament, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and repudiate censorship. In Palatinate revolutionary forces crushed loyalist and enacted parliamentarian monarchy with similar reforms as in Baden. In 1849 Saxon king agreed with demonstrators and peacefully enacted liberal constitution. In Greater Poland Ludwik Mieroslawski famous for his actions in Palatinate managed to convince PNV and Pussian king to enacting Posen autonomy, creating own parliament, governor and liberal laws.
Meanwhile on 18 May first Frankfurt Parliament was chosen by general elections in all Germany. New parliament proclaimed German Empire under Prussian king Friedrich to which he agreed. Constitution of the new German Empire was modeled on Prussian except parliament question - indirect German parliament [Reichstag] was established. Its members was chosen by local parliaments according to the Hoose Method - population in local state/population of the whole country *100% = percentage of the representatives from local parliament in Staatestag. New law secured Prussian domination in Reichstag.