Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
Revolutions of 1848: What factors, old and new, led to the widespread outbreak of revolution in 1848? Were the causes in the various countries essentially the same or did each have its own particular set of circumstances? What was the response to the revolutions? Why did they fail?
Nationalism, discontent with industrialism, and a renewed sense of liberalism and Romanticism in varying degrees fueled the revolutions that swept through Italy, France, Austria, Hungry and Germany in the cataclysmic year of 1848. Except for the French Revolution, these were revolts spawned by a strong sense of frustrated nationalism as well as hatred of unresponsive and reactionary leaders.
The Paris revolutions started in the working class areas of the city, in protest of the conservative king's policies, and the lack of political enfranchisement of the citizens. Economically, the country was struggling, and eventually the "Bourgeoisie King" was overthrown, leading to the second French Republic, although a fairly moderate one, and the beginning of universal suffrage for all men (Henry, 2007). But the Italian revolution was more fueled by nationalism than class conflict than France. At the time, only Piedmont and the Papal state had Italian rulers, while the Spanish controlled Sicily and Naples, and the rest of the Italian city-states were controlled by the Hapsburgs. Unlike the French Revolution, Italian revolt was not successful, and Louis Napoleon restored papal authority to appease French Catholics and the Hapsburgs regained their influence by 1850 (Henry, 2007).
Within Austria itself, there was a revolt more in the French class-based mode protesting the reactionary policies of the Hapsburgs that was crushed, although a new Hapsburg was placed on the throne -- just in time to put down a revolt in Hungary similar to that of the Italian nationalist revolt. The demands for German confederation likewise failed, as nationalism combined with a strong sense of republicanism did not galvanize the angry disenfranchised masses under a single banner. The middle classes and the radical socialists failed to overcome their differences, and the King of Prussia's refusal to govern a unified Germany struck a death-blow to the fractured movement (Henry, 2007)
Works Cited
Henry, Prof. "The Revolutions of 1848." Western Civilization Study Guide. 17 Mar 2007. http://www.wpunj.edu/~history/study/ws2/set7b.htm
Still the results of these revolutions were quite contradictive: France gained political freedoms for a short period of time, Italy was unified by monarchy was established, Austria-Hungary held political reforms against feudalism survivals, but in fact the very purposes were not realized. But their ideological role was vital, as their results led to the popularization of nationalist ideas in Europe, cultural unification of oppressed nations and further struggle for
Other employment prospects in fields such as petty trading, retailing, transportation and domestic service also developed simultaneously in urban areas. In the nineteenth century, when the industrial working class became much larger and more important in the social structure they begin to assert themselves socially, politically and economically, evolving into the social order we see today. Growth of Cities According to Jeffery G. Williamson (1990) Britain grew at an unusually rapid
11 His ridicule views about the first family made the Russian citizens to regard him as worthless or inferior because of his resistance and the general talk he had on issues. Despite there being a demanding leadership crisis that could cause challenges to even the best leaders of the time, the presence of Tsarina and Rasputin worsened the conditions. They reshuffled the cabinet, sacking talented cabinet ministers and in their
TRANSPORTATION REVOLUTION IN THE UNITED STATES BETWEEN 1815 AND 1830? This paper argues that, even prior to the advent of the railroads, a transportation revolution had taken place in the United States in the early nineteenth century. It argues that two developments were most important: steamboat navigation and the construction of the great canals. In particular, the building of the Erie Canal constituted a revolution in its own right. It
As Paxton (2005) points out, the Russian Revolution was directly responsible for the rise of Fascism in Italy and Germany. The Russian Revolution, comprised of and led largely by a Jewish demographic, represented a threat to the nationality and national interests of European states. Fascist movements were not limited to Italy and Germany—they appeared in England, France, Spain and elsewhere—but Italy and Germany emerged as the primary Fascist states because
"…the work of the proletarians has lost all individual character, and, consequently, all charm for the workman. He becomes an appendage of the machine, and it is only the most simple, most monotonous, and most easily acquired knack, that is required of him" (Marx). This quotation alludes to the loss of identity that is incurred by the proletarian class of laborer, which is directly related to the impending sense