Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 09.djvu/590

* HANOVER. 536 HANOVER. the general purposes of the State. The secular- ized sees of Bremen and Verden were obtained in 1715 by purchase from Denmark. George II., who succeeded in 172". participated in the War cf the Austrian Succession as an ally of Austria. In the Seven Years' War. however, during which Hanover suffered materially at the hands of the French, who were the allies of Austria, he sided with Prussia. This King founded the University of Oiittingen in 17.34. The first thirty years of the reign of George III. (q.v.) of England, who succeeded to the Electorate of Hanover on the death of his grandfather in 1760, contributed largely toward the pros- perity of the electorate. Like the other States of Northern Germany, Hanover profited by the increased English and American trade, for which the Hanoverian ports and rivers formed the regular channels of communication with the rest of Germany. In nS.'S-OS Hanoverian troops took part in the wars against the French Re- public, but the expense of their maintenance was defrayed by England, and it was not till 1801, when Prussia, refusing to acknowledge the neu- trality of Hanover, t.lirew troops into the elec- torate, that Hanover suffered from the conse- quences of the anomalous position in which its relations to England placed it with regard to the other States of Germany. The Prussian troops evacuated Hanover in the following year, in accordance with the treaty entered into be- tween France and England. In 1803, when war was renewed between the two powers. Napoleon threw an army, under the command of Mortier, into Hanover, and the result of this measure was to compel the Hanoverian Government to enter into a convention by which it bound itself to abstjiin from taking |)art against France during the pending war; to give up fortresses and mu- nitions; to subsidize French troops; and to par- ticipate unconditionally in the general costs of the war. In 1807. Napoleon, after having ceded Hanover to Prussia, and again withdrawn it, appropriated a portion of the electorate to com- plete the newly formed kingdom of Westphalia, w-hich in 1810 received the whole of the Hano- verian territory. Later in 1810 a portion of Han- over was united with I'rance, and divided into the departments of Bouches de I'EHie, Bouches du Weser, and I^eine. After the expulsion of the French. Hanover was handed over to George III., November 4. 1813. The Congress of Vienna raised Hanover to the rank of a kingdom and granted it important territorial additions. In 1816 the Duke of Cambridge, brother of the Prince Regent of England, became Governor- General of Hanover: and in 1810 a new constitu- tion was granted, providing for two representa- tive chambers. The Government remained largely autocratic, however, and the influence of Count Miinster was paramount in Hanoverian affairs. Very little was done toward the improvement of the administration, and when William IV. as- cended the throne in 18.10, the general disaffee- tio7i and distrust had risen to the highest pitch. The influence of the .Tuly Revolution extended to Hanover, and in 1831 disturbances broke out at Osterode and Gottingen. These were speedily put down, but as the national discontent did not abate. Count Miinster was dismissed, and the Duke of Cambridge, who had hitherto acted as Governor-General, was invested with the title of A^'iceroy, and intrusted with very extensive pow- ers. The Duke recommended gradual reforms, but as the popular feeling was decidedly in favor of a thoroughly remodeled constitution, the Es- tates were convoked, and in September, 1833, a new organic instrument was promulgated. The death of William IV,, in 1837, placed Hanover under the rule of the next male heir, Ernest Au- gustus, Duke of Cumberland, son of George III. One of the first measures of the new King was to abrogate the Constitution of 1833. to which he had from the time of its adoption refused his assent, and to restore that of 1819. In con- sequence of tht-ir refusal to take the oath of allegiance required from all persons holding office under the State, seven of the professors at Gottingen, among them Dahlmann, Ewald, Ger- vinus, and the brothers Grimm, were expelled from the university. In 1840 a new constitu- tion was promulgated; but its limited conces- sions failed to satisfy the demands for a thor- oughly constitutional government. From this period till 1848, when the success of the French Revolution compelled the German rulers to adopt a more liberal policy toward their subjects, the King showed himself resolutely averse to reform, though the Hanoverian people themselves were strongly in favor of the Constitution of 1833. Only the danger of a revolution in 1848 forced the King to grant a constitution more liberal in nature than even that of 1833. The danger once over, however, lie reverted to his former policy and dismissed his liberal iMinistry. A revolution was prevented by his death in 1851. Ernest Au- gustus was succeeded by his son George V.. who, though blind, was active and energetic. He cher- islied high ideas of the royal power and favored the claims of the aristocracy. The early meas- ures of the new King were not calculated to al- lay the fears entertained of liis policy; but the decisive declaration of the Chambers that they were desirous of seeing the reforms completed which had been begun by the late King, and their expression of w.ant of confidence in the new Cabi- net, prevented any marked retrogressive move- ment on the part of the Ministry, In 1854 Hanover joined the German Zollverein. In 1855 the Constitution underwent various modifica- tions in accordance with the demands of the federal Diet, by which it was made to approxi- mate more closely to that granted by Ernest Au- gustus in 1840. Although the changes were un- popular, they met with no energetic opposition. In the war of 1866 Hanover threw in her lot with Austria, and in .lune the kingdom was oc- cupied by Prussian troops, and on the 28th of Ihat month the Hanoverian army was forced to capitulate. By the Peace of Prague the incor- poration of Hanover with Prussia was recognized. Both George V.. who died in 1878. and his son. Ernest Augustus. Duke of Cumberland (q.v.), refused to acknowledge the act of annexation, and went into exile. On this account, their private estates in Hanover were sequestrated by Prussia, the proceeds being denominated the Guelph Fund (q.v.). The Hanoverian Deputies kept up a constant protest in the Reichstag against the annexation, but finally, in 1802. Ernest Augustus renounced any intention of intriguing against Prussia, and the income of the Guelph Fund was handed over to him. BinLTORRAPHV. Guthe. Die Lnnde Brann- xchwniij iind Hannover (Hanover. 1888) ; ^feyer.