Prussia did not cope well with independance. First of all, the morale of the Prussians became very low following defeat in the Austrian-Prussian War. Economic recession quickly followed, and Prussia became one of the poorest countries in Europe. The second cause was the frustration of many Prussians over the unfair political system, for instance, the three-class franchise system that gave those who paid more taxes a vote worth more than that of those who paid less.