1848 Flashcards
Why had the aristocracy in the 19th century broken from liberalism?
The bloodshed and horror of the French revolution
What does Charles Poutas suggest the bourgeois revolutionaries got their inspiration from?
‘the fertile political schools of the Restoration’
Lamennais’ ‘L’avenir’
Messianic republicanism, a dogma that France had a mission to spread liberty and nationality
What did Lamennais’ ‘L’avenir’ demand?
Local administration, secularisation, freedoms of speech, assembly, and the press, greater suffrage.
Which basic rights did European liberals demand?
Freedom of the individual Reformed legal procedure and introduction of juries Freedom of the press Representative assemblies A national guard Secularisation Ending of police regime
What were the differences between French and German nationalism?
The French concept of the nation was of ‘a spiritual community formed by voluntary association of free men’
The German concept saw the nation as a natural organism, with specific genius found in culture, language and history.
What proportion of Europe was still ruled by feudal regimes?
three-quarters
Why were industrial workers facing a particularly bad situation?
They were no longer protected by corporatism, and were yet to benefit from unionisation and collective bargaining.
In which year did the agricultural crisis begin?
1846, the decade was known as ‘the hungry forties’
When did the financial crisis strike, and what were the consequences?
Early 1847, which led to a total drying up on credit and a subsequent industrial crisis.
Which was the first revolution of 1848?
The Paris Revolution, 22nd of February
What sparked the Paris Revolution?
The outlawing of democratic political banquets bringing the crowds out in support of the middle classes.
What rights were granted in the new French Republic?
Universal suffrage
Absolute freedom of the press and of association
The abolition of the death penalty for political offences
The abolition of slavery
The abolition of the debtor’s prison
The creation of a parliament
What sparked the revolution in central Europe?
The Emperor in Vienna being forced by the mob to promise major liberal reforms on the 15th of March.
What was the impact in Italy of the fall of Metternich’s government?
Fierce fighting in Milan to force out the Austrians
By March 26th Austrian forces were out of Venetia and Lombardy.
How did Berlin react to the fall of Vienna?
Masses of unemployed men took to the streets and were met with brutality by the army.
The brutality led more to take to the streets, the people forced the king into surrendering to liberal demands.
What impact did the fall of Berlin to revolution have?
It led to a series of bloodless revolutions across all the monarchies of central Germany, Saxony and Hanover. The emergence of a republican party in Western Germany.
Why did French workers revolt on the 21st of June?
Due to the French government giving some of them an ultimatum to either leave for the provinces or join the army.
What was the outcome of the French civil war 22-26th June?
military rule under General Cavaignac
What committee was founded in Berlin on the 19th of April?
The Central Committee of Working Men
Why were the working class ineffective politically in Germany?
They had split into the artisans and the factory workers, with opposing ambitions
Why did the hopes of a united Italy fade away?
Successful Austrian reconquest of Lombardy and Venetia.
What impact does Poutas suggest 1848 had on the proletarianisation of the masses?
That it set it in motion, or hastened it
What lasting victories did peasants win?
The abolition of serfdom everywhere except Russia, and the freedom to move.
Why are Marxist interpretations of the 1848 revolution flawed?
They are too general, and presuppose an industrial proletariat which only existed in England.
