Start of the Revolution in Rastatt
In 1849, many people in Germany were dissatisfied. They wanted to turn Germany into a democracy. This was particularly the case in southern Germany. But the Prussian King Frederick William IV did not want to recognize this proposal, leading to uprisings in many places.
The situation in Rastatt escalated quickly and on 9th May 1849 some soldiers switched sides and joined the revolutionary vigilantes. Officers tried in vain to call their soldiers back to order, but their attempts all failed, worsening the situation even more.
An increasing number of soldiers showed solidarity with the citizens. At some point, there were so many that the Minister of War fled in fear. Just one day later, Grand Duke Leopold, the ruler of Baden at the time, was also forced to flee Karlsruhe. This event is regarded as the start of the revolution in Rastatt. The very next day, the revolutionaries moved to Karlsruhe and formed their own government there.
