The Revolutions Of 1848. The turning point at which history failed to turn. --- George Macaulay Trevelyn [1937]

TheRevolutio

nsOf 1848

The turning point at which history failed

to turn. --- George Macaulay Trevelyn [1937]

Pre-1848 Tensions: Long-Pre-1848 Tensions: Long-TermTerm

Industrialization Ideological Challenges Romanticism Repressive Measures of restored

monarchs

Pre-1848 Tensions: Pre-1848 Tensions: Short-TermShort-Term

Agricultural Crises Poor cereal harvests Potato famine Financial Crises

Urban & Agricultural workers and the Urban & Agricultural workers and the middle classes are now joined in miserymiddle classes are now joined in misery

Centers of Revolution in Centers of Revolution in 18481848

FRANCE: The Giant Sea FRANCE: The Giant Sea Snake?Snake?

FRANCEFRANCE

Louis PhilippeLouis Philippe,, “The Pear,” “The Pear,” 18481848

Prince LouisPrince Louis:: Not Too Not Too Steady!Steady!

Victor Hugo & Miguel de Girardin try to raise Prince Louis upon a shield. [Honoré Damier’s lithograph

published in Charavari, December 11, 1848].

The February RevolutionThe February Revolution Working class & liberals revolt Protests break out Troops open fire on peaceful protestors.

National Guard defect to the radicals. King Louis Philippe loses Paris and

abdicates on February 24.

The “June Days”The “June Days” Workers in Paris rose up

Wanted a redistribution of wealth.

Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables

Paris: To the Barricades Paris: To the Barricades Again!Again!

The 2The 2ndnd French Republic French Republic ((1848-18521848-1852))

• General Louis Cavaignac

• Nov., 1848 a new constitution provided for:

An elected President

A one-house legislature

The RepublicThe Republicbyby

Jean-Leon GeromeJean-Leon Gerome

President Louis Napoleon President Louis Napoleon The December election:

The “law and order” candidate,Louis Napoleon Bonaparte wins

1851 Coup d’Etat1851 Coup d’Etat

President Louis Napoleon declared a hereditary 2nd French Empire

A national plebiscite confirmed it

TheHAPSBURG

EMPIRE

TheHAPSBURG

EMPIRE

The Austrian Empire: The Austrian Empire: 18301830

Culturally and racially heterogeneous.

Very conservative monarchy Serfdom Corrupt and inefficient

Ferdinand I Ferdinand I (1793-1875)(1793-1875)

Austrian Students Form a Austrian Students Form a MilitiaMilitia

The Austrian Empire collapses

Metternich fled. Constituent Assembly

met Serfdom abolished.

BUT… The revolutionary

government failed

Vienna, 1848: The Liberal Vienna, 1848: The Liberal RevolutionRevolution

The New AustrianThe New Austrian Emperor Franz JosephEmperor Franz Joseph I I [r. [r.

1848-1916]1848-1916]

The Hungarian The Hungarian RevolutionRevolution

Lajos KossuthLajos Kossuth Hungary declares independence

from Austria Austrian & Russian armies invade

and defeat the Hungarian army

Tsar Nicholas I Tsar Nicholas I (r. 1825-(r. 1825-1855)1855)

He raised an army in response to a request from Franz Joseph

Bohemia, 1848Bohemia, 1848 Bohemia was split

between Pan-Slavs & Pan-Germans

Prague Conference: Developed the idea

of Austro-Slavism The Austrian military

ultimately attacked Prague, occupied Bohemia & crushed the rebellion.

The Prague The Prague BarricadesBarricades

Revolution in RomaniaRevolution in Romania

TheGermanStates

TheGermanStates

Germania Germania - - 18481848

• Anti-liberal, but an ‘Arthurian’ medieval romantic.

Relied on Junker support

Prussia in the mid-19c:

Efficient Good economy Strong military

Frederick William IV of Frederick William IV of PrussiaPrussia

((1840-18611840-1861))

The Germans Follow the The Germans Follow the FrenchFrench

G After the February French revolutions, there were many riots in minor German states.

G Austria and Prussia expected to intervene to crush these revolts, BUT:

Vienna Revolution led to the fall of Metternich.

Berlin riots•King Frederick William IV withdraws

the troops and hand the liberals a big victory

•Other Princedoms collapse

Funeral for Berlin Freedom Funeral for Berlin Freedom FightersFighters

The Frankfurt AssemblyThe Frankfurt Assembly

Liberals form German National Assembly in Frankfurt:

Universal suffrage Delegates mostly from the middle

class Debate over the nature of the

state monarchy of Habsburgs or Hohenzollerns?

They chose the Austrian Habsburg Archduke John rather than the King of Prussia•But they failed to gain the loyalty of

the Prussian Army

Frankfurt Assembly Frankfurt Assembly MeetsMeets

A Citizen Militia on A Citizen Militia on Parade in BerlinParade in Berlin

The “Three Germanies”The “Three Germanies”

Austria & Prussia Reassert Austria & Prussia Reassert ControlControl

Austria re-gained control of Vienna

Prussia opposed The Frankfurt Assembly

Radicals took to the barricades again

The Prussian army crushed radicals

April, 1849the Assembly collapsed

A New German A New German ConfederationConfederation

Frederick William IV of Prussia wanted to rule a united Germany

1850 the German Confederation was re-established

Prussia was forced to accept Austrian leadership of Central Europe

Liberalism Discredited Liberalism Discredited in Germanyin Germany

Rule of force was the only winner

A massive exodus of liberal intelligentsia

Militarism triumphs

THEAFTERMATH

THEAFTERMATH

Democrats Swept Out of Democrats Swept Out of EuropeEurope

The Communist The Communist ManifestoManifesto

Karl MarxKarl Marx Friedrich Friedrich EngelsEngels

Why did the Why did the 18481848 Revolutions FailRevolutions Fail??

Lacked popular support Began by middle classes led these

revolutions, but turned radical Nationalism divided more than united Some gains lasted [abolition of

serfdom, etc.] And long term, most of the liberal

ideas happen by the end of the 19c: The unification of Germany and Italy. The collapse of the Hapsburg Empire at

the end of World War I

The Bottom Line The Bottom Line

It looked like the Conservative forces had triumphed.

BUT… Economic/social problems

continued to challenge the ruling order

Conservatives would have to make concessions in order to stay in power

Many of the limited Liberal achievements remained permanent