The European Revolutions 1848

The Revolutions of 1848 is considered to be the most widespread political unrest seen in the entire European continent against the monarchical figures of that era. The revolutionaries were liberal and democratic in nature and wanted to create independent states. More than 50 countries were affected but the eruption of revolutions was not coordinated. People expressed their dissatisfaction with the political bodies and demanded their participation in developing governments and democracy. In this article, we will discuss the advent and effects of the Revolutions of 1848.

The Origins of Revolutions of 1848

The outbreak of revolutions occurred in different countries in Europe among the common people. Utter discontent with the political system of the monarchs led to the foundation of the famous Revolutions of 1848. The liberal reformers and the radical politicians brought drastic changes to reshape the existing governments.

The advent of technology in the press let the revolution spread across Europe in 50 countries. The ideas of socialism, liberalism, and nationalism emerged during the first half of the 19th Century. The working class or the middle-class segment of the society was the most disappointed by the existing regimes of the sovereign authorities. These revolutions were also fueled by the revolts of the lower class in the cities.

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The conditions of the working class in the cities were worse. They worked for at least 12 hours a day in exchange for measly wages and lived in disease-ridden slums. The protests emerged in Lyon in 1831 and in Prague in 1844. These cities saw extreme unrest among these people but the prime revolution was witnessed in Sicily, Italy.

In January 1848 the Revolution of the liberals in Sicily delivered blows to the contemporary industries locally. It was then propagated to France on 24th February. Later on, the movement extended to entire Europe apart from the Scandinavian countries, Russia, and Spain. It shows how the situations of the working class were common in almost every European country. In Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands, the revolution was just a peaceful demonstration of the working class resulting in convenient reforms of the existing social and commercial institutions.

Revolutions of 1848 Causes Summary Significance

The Revolutions of 1848 are also depicted as the ‘Springtime of the Peoples’ and were caused due to economic and political crises. Due to the discontent among the people, revolutions sparked across the European countries resulting in various reforms and reshaping of the governments.

Even though the revolutions were not coordinated or cooperated, they had a major impact on the course of European history. The three significant monarchies in Vienna, Paris, and Berlin suffered the biggest blows. The governments were trembling with the fear of these movements across the continent and did not even do anything to defend their thrones.

It was a huge success in France resulting in the establishment of universal suffrage of manhood. The Second Republic came into being but the friction between the workers resulted in insurrections in mid-1848.

As per the Revolutions of 1848 summary, the newly appointed ministers promised reforms but the monarchs tolerated the storm. King Frederick William IV of Prussia led the movement of unification of Germany. He hoisted the famous black, golden, and red-colored flag which ultimately become the symbol of this unity. Eventually, three constituent assemblies were drafted at Frankfurt, Vienna, and Berlin. These constitutions were drafted for Austria, Germany, and Prussia. In Italy, the King of Sardinia led the uprising against Austria forming the tricolor of the country made of white, red, and green. It led to the proclamation of the republic in 1849.

Eventually, the Revolutions of 1848 saw the fate of repression as the armies remain loyal to the respective monarchs. It was first witnessed in Paris. Louis Eugene Cavaignac ordered the army to stop the insurgents. Alfred, Prince von Windischgrätz, ordered the same to suppress the Czech insurgents in Prague at the same time. He was followed by the Austrian army in Vienna and Lombardy. In December, Berlin did the same thing. At last, the Prussian army suppressed the discontented working class in Baden and Saxony. Order was also restored in Rome and Hungary due to the intervention of the Russian army.

What were the Consequences of the Revolution?

The biggest outcome of the Revolutions 1848 was the end of serfdom and the feudal system that had been maligning the working classes of over 50 European countries. The industrial revolution led to the emergence of various economical problems.

The middle and lower working classes were not happy with the political system and monarchy. The widespread discontent led to the end of feudalism and serfdom across the continent. In fact, the seigniorial institutions of contemporary societies also came to an end. The peasants and other workers did not have to show any more obligations towards their lords and were free to make any kind of occupational decisions.