1. 1848 Revolutions 23.09.09

2. 'Spring of Nations' 3. On the period: "society was cut in two: those who had nothing united in common envy, and those who had anything united in common terror." Alexis de Tocqueville 4. Revolution in Berlin, 1848 5. Revolution in Berlin, 1848 6. What were thecauses of the German Revolution 1848? 7. The Middle class intelligentsia had become moreconscienceand self awareof their role in society and therefore wantedrepresentationfrom the autocratic princes. 8.

Background

In 1848 Germany was a number of smaller states, the more well known were Austria and Prussia.

The Intelligentsia were fed up of this and influenced by enlightened or modernist ideas.

Why did the Middle Classes want change within Germany? 9.

Potato Blight in 1847.This led to rising food prices and wide spread starvation.

This exacerbated an already difficult situation in towns and cities, where there was a lack of housing, jobs and sanitation due to the movement of people from the Cities from the countryside.

Ideas like Marxs struck a cord with the lower middle classes.Class representation became a core theme.

The issues 10. Rulers, Frederick III of Prussia and Franz Josef of Austria did not have the money or the ambition to help their citizens. The caf dwelling middle class intelligentsia influenced by the revolutions sweeping across Europe, especially France where they already had a national republic, but were moving towards even more Liberal ideals. 11.

The revolution or mob violence started in March 1848 and quickly spread to the capital of Prussia, Berlin.It then swept across the country.

Demonstrators and the army clashed. Streets were barricaded, until Frederick Wilhelm VI removed troops and appointed liberal ministers (who were powerless.)

The mob though, which was mainly made up of dissatisfied peasants and working class, quickly left the revolution to the political thinking middle classes as they had to make sure their families were fed and protected.

Events 12.

The revolutionaries made a dire mistake in that they did not eliminate the Princes of the German states.

Although the Parliament Germany was given in 1849 did not last long, it gave theliberalthinkers among the revolutionaries the incentive to look for morePower , a GermanCultureandIdentity.

The long term consequence was that there was a drive to look forNATIONHOOD. Whether that be a Klein Deutschland (led by Prussia, the pre WW1 Germany) or the Gross Deutschland (Big Germany including Austria.)

The results 13. Prussia became the dominating state within Germany as it created an economic nation and gained power from politicians like Otto von Bismarck.Prussia won wars and thus created borders which defined Germany. It created the German identity we recognise today.