Transcript The Revolutions of 1848 - Ralph Robinson: Westfield High

The turning point at which history failed
to turn…
- George Macaulay Trevelyan, 1937
1815: We have redrawn Europe’s map for eternity.
The “Hegelian Dialectic”
◦ History advances
through conflict.
◦ One phase of history
creates its opposite
[ex: absolutism to
democracy].
Thesis
George Wilhelm
Friedrich Hegel
[1744-1803]
Antithesis
Synthesis
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Considered the watershed political event of the 19th
century.
1848 revolutions influenced by romanticism,
nationalism, and liberalism, as well as economic
dislocation and instability.
Only Britain and Russia avoided significant upheaval.
Neither liberals or conservatives could gain
permanent upper hand.
Resulted in end of serfdom in Austria and Germany,
universal male suffrage in France, parliaments
established in German states (although controlled by
princes & aristocrats), stimulated unification impulse
in Prussia and Sardinia-Piedmont.
Last of liberal revolutions dating back to the French
Revolution
A. Industrialization
◦ Economic challenges to rulers.
◦ Rapid urbanization.
◦ Challenges to the artisan class.
B. Population doubled in the 18c
◦ Food supply problems  Malthus
C. Ideological Challenges
◦ Liberalism, nationalism, democracy, socialism.
D. Romanticism
E. Repressive Measures
◦ Carlsbad Decrees [Prus.]
◦ Six Acts [Eng.]
◦ Secret police created in many European states.
A. Agricultural Crises
◦ Poor cereal harvests
 prices rose 60% in one year.
◦ Potato blight  Ireland
 Prices rose 135% for food in one year!
 Corn Laws repealed as a result
B. Financial Crises
◦ Investment bubbles burst  railways,
iron, coal.
◦ Unemployment increased rapidly [esp.
among the artisan class].
Working & middle classes are now joined in misery as
are the urban and agricultural peasantry!
Working class and
liberals unhappy with
King Louis Philippe,
esp. his minister
Francois Guizot (who
opposed electoral
reform).
 King dismisses Guizot,
but riots break out.
 King forced to
abdicate on Feb. 24.
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Francois Guizot
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Second French Republic declared by Chamber of
deputies.
Moderate republicans led by liberal Alphonse
Lamartine (allied w/ bourgeoisie)
Socialists led by Louis Blanc
national workshops created by Blanc to provide
work for the unemployed
Reforms: abolished slavery in the empire, 10 hr
workday in Paris, abolished death penalty.
April elections for new Constituent Assembly
resulted in conflict between moderate
republicans (who won) and socialists
A. A poet & liberal, he
believed in the
“Rights of Man.”
◦ To vote, to free speech,
to property, & to a
secular education.
B. Declared a new
Provisional
Government.
◦ Conservatives & liberals
are suspicious of
republicanism
 Reminiscent of the
Reign of Terror.
A. A Social Democrat.
B. He believed in the “Right to
Work.”
◦ National Workshops.
 Provide work for the
unemployed.
C. Financial Crisis
◦ Flight of capital.
◦ Stock market crashes [55%
decline].
◦ New 45% increase of taxes on
the peasants.
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Workers attempted to create a
revolutionary republic after Blanc was
dropped from assembly.
Results in “June Days” Revolution
Cause: gov’t closed national workshops
Marked beginning of class warfare in
France
Workers sought war against poverty
and redistribution of income.
Barricades put up in streets to oppose
gov’t forces (Hugo’s Les Miserables
based on this)
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General Louis Cavaignac:
assumed dictatorial powers &
crushed revolt (10,000 dead)
Victory for conservatives
Nov 1848 – constitution provided
for elected president and onehouse parliament
Election of 1848: Louis Napoleon
Bonaparte “Dark Horse Candidate”
(1803-1873) defeated Cavaignac
1852: Louis Napoleon
consolidates power and becomes
Emperor Napoleon III
Louis Napoleon
Bonaparte
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Habsburg empire was vulnerable to revolutionary
challenge
Ethnic minorities sought nationalistic goals:
Hungarians, Slavs, Czechs, Italians, Serbs, Croats, and
others. (More non-Germans than Germans lived in the
empire)
Austrian gov’t was reactionary; liberal institutions were
non-existent.
Social reliance on serfdom doomed masses of people to
a life w/o hope.
“February Revolution” in France sparked rebellion for
liberal reforms.
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March 13 – rioting breaks out in
Vienna
Austrian empire collapsed;
Metternich fled
Constituent assembly meets.
Serfdom (robot) abolished,
revolution withers.
Revolutionary gov’t failed to
govern effectively
Ferdinand I abdicates, Habsburgs
restored royal absolutism under
Franz Joseph (r. 1848-1916).
Franz Joseph
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Louis Kossuth (1802-1894)
Hungarian (Magyar nationalist)
leader demanded independence.
March laws provided for
Hungarian independence.
Austrians invade, Hungarian
armies drove within sight of
Vienna.
Slavic minorities resisted Magyar
invasion and Hungarian army
withdrew
Austrian and Russian armies
defeated Hungarian army.
Hungary would have to wait until
1866 for autonomy
Louis Kossuth
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Prague Conference developed notion of
Austroslavism: constitution and autonomy
within Habsburg empire.
Pan-Slav Congress failed to unite Slavic
peoples in the empire.
Austrian military ultimately attacked Prague
and occupied Bohemia and crushed rebellion.
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Revolutions inspired by 1848
revolutions in France
Liberals demanded constitutional
government and a union or
federation of German states.
Frederick William IV rejected
liberal constitution; imposed
conservative one that guaranteed
royal control of gov’t (lasted until
1918).
Frederick William IV
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Liberal, romantic, &
nationalist leaders called for
elections to a constituent
assembly, from all states in
the German Bund, for the
purpose of unifying the
German states.
Sought war with Denmark to
annex Schleswig & Holstein;
Prussia declared war on
Denmark (Danish War)
Presented constitution for a
united German federation.
Selected Prussian King
Frederick William IV as
emperor; he declined
claiming “divine right of
kings”
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Debate over whether or not to include
Austria and who would rule (Hollenzollerns
or Habsburgs?)
Failure of Prussia and Austria to support
unification movement resulted in its
collapse
Frederick William’s attempt to unify
Germany ended in failure, he dissolved the
Parliament and created a constitution of his
own for Prussia.
This created a two-house parliament, but
gave the king ultimate authority.
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Prussia attempted to create a north German
confederation that it would dominate.
Austria opposed, demanding Prussian
allegiance to the Bund (that Austria dominated)
Nov. 1850 - “Humiliation of Olmutz”: Prussia
dropped plan to unify Germany, leaving Austria
as dominant German state in the Bund.
Prussia would seek revenge in 1866 (AustroPrussian War)
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Italian nationalists and liberals seek to end
foreign domination of Italy
Milan, Lombardy and Venetia seek expel
Austrian rulers
Bourbon rulers in Kingdom of Two Sicilies
and House of Savoy in Sardinia-Piedmont
grant liberal constitutions.
Sardinia-Piedmont declared war on Austria.
Beginning in May, revolutions suppressed.
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Giuseppe Mazzini
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Giuseppe Mazzini established
Roman Republic in 1849
protected by Giuseppe
Garibaldi
Pope Pius IX forced to flee
Austrian General Radetsky
crushes Sardinia-Piedmont;
regains Lombardy and
Venetia.
French troops take back Papal
States.
Victor Emmanuel II takes
throne in Sardinia-Piedmont.
 Causes
for failure:
◦ Rural people did not
support revolutions,
focused mainly on urban
middle classes.
◦ Revolutionaries not
united, fear of radicals
among moderates leads
to collapse.
◦ Lack of leadership and
administrative
experience among
revolutionaries.
Giuseppe Garibaldi
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The Chartists
◦ Movement reached its
height with the Kennington
Common demonstration
on April 10, 1848.
◦ Could have been the
prelude to revolution in
Britain, but meeting was
peaceful.
◦ Leaders did not follow-up
on the meeting and
Chartist movement died.
Kennington Common
demonstration on April 10, 1848
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The revolutions failed to pull popular support
from working classes.
Middle classes led the revolution, but as it turned
more radical, they held back.
Were they were successful, old guard was left in
place and they turned against them.
Nationalism divided more that united.
Some gains lasted (abolition of serfdom, etc.)
In the long-term, most liberal gains would be
solidified by the end of the century, Germany and
Italy would be unified, and the Austrian Empire
would collapse at the end of World War I.
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It looked like the Conservative forces had
triumphed.
BUT…
◦ Things had changed forever.
◦ Economic/social problems continued to be constant
challenges to the ruling order.
◦ Conservatives would have to make concessions in
order to stay in power.
◦ Many of the limited Liberal achievements remained
permanent.