The Romantic Age, 1815-1848:The Revolutions of 1848

“The Springtime of the Peoples”

The turning point at which history failed to

turn. --- George Macaulay Trevelyn [1937]

The turning point at which history failed to

turn. --- George Macaulay Trevelyn [1937]

Causes

IndustrializationEconomic challenges to rulers.

Rapid urbanization

Unemployment!

Ideological ChallengesLiberalism, nationalism, democracy, socialism.

RomanticismRepressive Measures of the Congress System

Carlsbad Decrees

Secret police created in many European states.Not coherently organized revolts

They were specific to each state

Few to little connections between them

Russia and England did not have revolts

Centers of Revolution in 1848

France

Louis Philippe, “The Pear,” 1848

Prince Louis: Not Too 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 RevolutionWorking class & liberals unhappy with King LouisProtesters fired upon by the kingNational Guard defects to the radicalsLouis adbicates.

Provisional Goverment

New government declared by a coalition of groupsConservatives & liberals are suspicious of republicanism

Too reminiscent of the Reign of Terror.

National Workshops created

Tried to alleviate unemployment

Failed, unemployment, taxes, and inflation rose

Coalition split between conservatives and radicalsLouis Blanc

The “June Days”

Worker groups in Paris rose up in insurrection. Class Warfare!

They said that the government had betrayed the revolution.

Workers wanted a redistribution of wealth.

Barricades in the streets.Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables was based on this event.

A new liberal-conservative coalition formed to oppose this lower class radicalism.

Paris: To the Barricades Again!

The 2nd French Republic (1848-1852)

New constitution formed with a president

Louis Napoleon Bonaparte wins the election

Represses the socialists and republicans

Fallous Law 1850

1851 Coup d’Etat

Louis Napoleon declares himself emperor

National plebiscite confirms him

Emperor Napoleon III

AustriaAustria

The Austrian Empire: 1830

The nature of the AustrianEmpire:

Very conservative monarchy[liberal institutions didn’texist].

Culturally and racially heterogeneous.Social reliance on serfdomdooms masses of people to a life without hope.Corrupt and inefficient.Competition with an increasingly powerful Prussia.

Problems of Austria

Therefore, the Empire was vulnerable to revolutionary challenges.

Ferdinand I (1793-1875)

The “February Revolution” in France triggered a rebellion for liberal reforms.March 13 rioting broke out in Vienna.

The Austrian Empire collapsed.Metternich fled.Constituent Assembly met.Serfdom [robot] abolished.

The revolution began to wane and the revolutionary government failed to govern effectively.

The “March Days”

June, 1848

Bohemia was split between Pan-Slavs & Pan-Germans.Prague Conference:

Developed the idea of Austro-Slavism.A constitution & autonomy within the Habsburg EmpireFeared Germanization.

The Austrian military ultimately attacked Prague, occupied Bohemia & crushed the rebellion. The Prague

Barricades

The Hungarian Revolution

The New Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I [r. 1848-

1916]

Bach System

NO NATIONALISM!

Italy

Upheaval in Italy, 1848

Italian nationalists sought to end foreign ruleVenice rebelled and Piedmont-Sardinia attacked Austria

Italy, 1849

Giuseppe Mazzini established a Roman Republic in 1849 protected by Giuseppe Garibaldi. Pope Pius IX forced to flee.Austrian crushed Sardinia-Piedmont.French troops take back the Papal States.Victor Emmanuel II takes the throne in Sardinia-Piedmont.

Germany

German Conferedation

Structure

Zolleverein

Mad as a hatter!Anti-liberal, but an ‘Arthurian’ medieval romantic [Cinderella’s Castle].

Agricultural romantic.

Relied on Junker support.

March DaysRiots in Berlin

Army crushed them, but then withdrew

Prussia

Frederick William IV of Prussia(1840-1861)

Frankfurt AssemblyFrankfurt AssemblyMeeting of German nationalists

Big question – Habsburgs or Hohenzollerans?

Choose Habsburgs

Rejected by Habsburgs

Fails

Prussian Constitution of 1850

Prussian Constitution of 1850

Single parliament for all of PrussiaAlmost three estates like with universal male suffrageEnded serfdomJunkers went along because they got more propertyIncreased Prussia’s status amongst the other German States

SummarySummaryRevolutions of 1848 demonstrated that the old states could control their populations, but not well

Revolutions of 1848 the end of Romanticism & “democracy”

Set up a period of hard-core, violent nationalism to follow