Springtime of the Peoples

An Aid to Understanding the Signifcance of the European

Revolutions of 1848

Why violent revolution doesn’t take place in Britain

• Chartism (1830s & 1840s)• Working-class radicals• Change from within the

political system• Six points of the Charter

– Universal manhood suffrage– Equal electoral districts – No property qualification

for MPs– Payment for MPs– Annual parliaments– Secret ballot

• Presentation of Charter three times (1839, 1842, 1848)

• Ultimate failure of the Charter– Internal Divisions– Role of Government to

stamp out Chartist Factions

The Course of the 1848 Revolution:January: Palermo

(Italy)

February: Paris

March: Berlin,

Munich, Vienna, Venice, Milan, Cracow

In Austria Kaiser Franz Joseph1849: Revolt in Hungary suppressed with Russian help

Metternich forced to flee in March 1848

Revolutions in Europe• Austria:– Meternich flees the revolution

• Ferdinand deposed, choice of his nephew Franz Joseph II (1848-1916)

– Hungarian revolt suppressed with Russian help• Nicholas I, “the policeman of Europe.”

• Germany:– Unification of German States

• Large Germany (Grossdeutsch), or Little Germany (Kleindeutsch)

Frankfort Parliament offers imperial crown to Prussian king

• Italy: Revolts in Naples, Papal States, Tuscany, Venice– Goal: Unification under the House of Savoy– Austrians reassert control in Tuscany & Venetia

Revolution in Berlin (Prussia)• 3 March 1848 – Revolution broke out in the Rhineland• 15 March 1848 -- Revolutionaries revolted in Berlin,

demanding liberal democratic reforms.• King of Prussia (Frederick William IV) made concessions to

the revolutionaries.• Soon afterwards, the other leaders of German states also gave

their support for liberal democratic & nationalist reforms.• Believing that the kings & princes were committed to a united

Germany, bourgeois liberal leaders began to meet in Frankfurt to write a new constitution for a united Germany. (Frankfurt Parliament)– Supported liberal democracy– Little Germany or Large Germany?– Supported a constitutional monarchy (under the leadership

of the King of Prussia) & a united Germany without Austria.

Revolution in the Austrian (Hapbsurg) Empire

• While many revolutionaries advocated liberalism, most were nationalists.

• Calls for liberal democracy centered in Vienna

• 12 March 1848, Revolution broke out in Vienna

• Nationalist Revolutions• Czechs, Hungarians, &

Italians, in particular, rejected the dominance of a foreign, German-speaking, ruler.

Hungarian (Magyar) & Czech Revolutions• Most powerful of the

minorities & the most successful of the revolutionaries.

• Louis (Lajos) Kossuth (1802-1894)

• 3 March 1848 – Revolution broke out in Budapest

• Frightened Metternich, who quickly agreed to allow the Hungarians to establish a liberal democratic parliament.

• March Laws: Representation, freedom of the press, religious freedom, equal justice before the law, taxation of the nobility.

• May 1848 – Czechs revolted, demanding political autonomy similar to what the Hungarians had received.

Retreat of the Hapsburg Empire• Seeing what was happening throughout Europe, the Austrian Emperor (Ferdinand I) began to grant liberal concessions.– March 1848 – King dismissed Metternich– 25 April 1848 – King agreed to a constitutional monarchy– Granted Universal manhood suffrage – Emancipated the serfs

• 15 May 1848 – Another wave of demonstrations broke out in Vienna

• May 17 1848 – Emperor fled to Innsbruck (Austria)• Beginning in the summer of 1848, Austria reasserted her

dominance over the revolutionaries.– June 1848 – Emperor’s army crushed the Czech revolution– October 1848 – Emperor crushed the revolt in Vienna.– September 1848 1848 – Emperor sent troops into Hungary to

suppress the revolution.– December 1948 – Emperor abdicated in favor of his nephew

(Francis Joseph I) who was determined to suppress these revolutions.

– March 1849 – Austrian forces conquered Hungary & imposed military rule.

– June 1849 – Austrian joins with Prussia to crush revolutions in the Rhineland, Saxony, & Bavaria.

Revolution in Italy• January & February 1848 – Revolts erupted in Naples & Turin

• March 1848 – Guerra Santa (Holy War) • 22 March 1848 – Revolution broke out & Venetian

Republic was established.– Came under the leadership of Garibaldi

• March 1848 – Papal States were given a constitution– February 1849 – Roman Republic proclaimed under the

leadership of Mazzini.• Goals: Liberalism & National Unification• Led by Charles Albert (King of Piedmont-Sardinia)• 23 March 1848 – Piedmont-Sardina declared war on

Austria• New Republics: Venice, Tuscany, & Rome• June 1848 – Austrians defeated Piedmont-Sardinia.

Austrians re-established control over Lombardy & Venetia, destroying the republics.

The Suppression of the 1848 Revolutions

Why do the Revolutions Fail?•Problem of Idealism among Revolutionaries•Military Power•Weak Alliances

Lasting Significance of 1848•While there was a lasting challenge of liberal and While there was a lasting challenge of liberal and radical programsradical programs•Persistence of old regimePersistence of old regime•““Democracy” and 2nd Republic in France under Democracy” and 2nd Republic in France under Louis Louis Napoleon, president (1848-1852) then Napoleon, president (1848-1852) then Emperor Emperor Napoleon III (1852-1870)Napoleon III (1852-1870)•““Representative” government (Representative” government (LandtagLandtag) in Prussia) in Prussia•Emigration of 1848’ers to United StatesEmigration of 1848’ers to United States•Eventual conservative cooption of liberal and radical Eventual conservative cooption of liberal and radical

platformsplatforms

Acknowledgements

• Streeter, Dr. Revolutions of 1848. Online. history.smsu.edu/drstreeter/Hst102_ Presentations/Revolutions%20of%201848.ppt. January 1, 2005. This PowerPoint has been entirely reproduced for classroom use. An online version will be linked directly to the original site.