Frederick William IV and the Rejected Imperial Crown

On March 28, 1849, the Frankfurt National Assembly elects Frederick William IV as Emperor of the Germans. However, the Prussian king refuses – for him, a crown "from below" is not legitimate; it bears the "stench of revolution." Without Prussia’s support, the first democratic attempt at unification fails. In the National Assembly, two models of unification clash: the Greater German Solution, envisioning a Germany that includes Austria, and the Lesser German Solution, which seeks a nation-state under Prussian leadership without Austria. Frederick William IV remains committed to the old order and fears resistance from other monarchies. By rejecting the imperial crown, he chooses to preserve the monarchical principle over a liberal nation-state. As a result, Luxembourg also retains its unique status. The failed unification strengthens its particularism and prevents its integration into a German nation-state.