What was the Prussian constitutional conflict over military reform?

The Prussian constitutional conflict was a political deadlock between the Prussian crown and the liberal-dominated legislature that began in the early 1860s over the issue of military reform.12

King William I sought to strengthen the armed forces by increasing the number of line regiments and extending service years, while decreasing the size of the popular militia. The legislature, wary of enhancing the power of the conservative officer corps and asserting its own authority, refused to approve the necessary budget increases.12

When Otto von Bismarck was appointed prime minister in 1862, he bypassed the deadlock by arguing there was a "gap" in the constitution, as it did not specify a procedure for when the legislature failed to approve a budget. Consequently, the government continued to collect taxes and fund the military reforms without parliamentary authorization for four years. The conflict was ultimately resolved in 1866 following Prussia's victory in the Seven Weeks' War, after which Bismarck apologized for the illegal expenditures and the legislature passed an Act of Indemnity.132