The Main Cause Of The European Revolutions Of 1848
Revolutions of 1848
HIS 4402
Many historians tend to link the main cause of the European Revolutions of 1848 to the surge of liberal and nationalistic ideologies that seemed to enlighten the newly developed middle and working classes of the European Industrial Revolution. However, many historians forget the pre-revolutionary economic crisis’s that began to build in Europe as early as 1830 that eventually caused Europe to erupt in 1848 . Although the rise of liberal and nationalistic ideals contributed to the European Revolutions of 1848, economic factors played a major role in reshaping Europe politically and economically. The economic landscape of Europe prior to 1848 resembles a society that has shifted toward an …show more content…
In Germany, peasants protesting against the abolishment of serfdom for some peasants but not all forced the Grand Duke of Baden along with other ruling families in Württemburg to flee their homes as new revolutionary provisional governments were established. In Westphalia, Prussia, peasants as well as the landless demanded a redistribution of wealth because they felt the economy benefited only the rich. In Vienna, a demonstration on March 12, 1848 of more than 10,000 laid off factory workers and students were fired upon by the military unleashing a massive uprising directed toward Metternich, the chief minister of the Habsburg Monarchy and his State Council. Metternich ordered the municipal guard to stop the uprising; however, the municipal guard sided with the rebellion thus enhancing the uprising in Vienna. By March 15, King Ferdinand was forced to adhere to the demands of the Vienna uprising and promised to provide a constitution to the people of Austria. By late March, Pope Pius IX had granted a constitution for the Papal States as Metternich entered into exile and the Italian cities of Venice and Milan declared their independence from Austria. By April 30, 1848, Romanians in the cities of Czernowtiz and Transylvania, inspired by the Vienna uprising declared their independence from the Habsburg Empire and demanded …show more content…
It is also evident that European countries such as Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands were able to avoid widespread violence by implementing immediate constitutional reforms, while European countries such as England, Russia and Spain saw no widespread political protests or forced changes to their government’s constitutions. The reason for the diversity in the reaction of each country to the Revolution of 1848 was the socioeconomic factors that many historians have failed to factor in. It is relevant to assume that the agricultural crisis that occurred in 1845-47 had a significant impact on the industrial sector in 1848. The higher wheat and grain prices caused an unexpected increase in the cost of living thus reducing the demand for manufactured goods in some of the lesser industrialized countries of France, Austria and Prussia. More highly industrialized countries like England and the Netherlands where there was not a direct economic relationship between the agricultural and industrial sectors experienced minor fluctuations in their economy and no violent uprisings. Thus we can conclude that the negative economic down turn in the late 1840’s was a catalyst that helped to ignite the European Revolutions of 1848. We can also conclude that the countries with the most repressive regimes had uprisings that
HIS 4402
Many historians tend to link the main cause of the European Revolutions of 1848 to the surge of liberal and nationalistic ideologies that seemed to enlighten the newly developed middle and working classes of the European Industrial Revolution. However, many historians forget the pre-revolutionary economic crisis’s that began to build in Europe as early as 1830 that eventually caused Europe to erupt in 1848 . Although the rise of liberal and nationalistic ideals contributed to the European Revolutions of 1848, economic factors played a major role in reshaping Europe politically and economically. The economic landscape of Europe prior to 1848 resembles a society that has shifted toward an …show more content…
In Germany, peasants protesting against the abolishment of serfdom for some peasants but not all forced the Grand Duke of Baden along with other ruling families in Württemburg to flee their homes as new revolutionary provisional governments were established. In Westphalia, Prussia, peasants as well as the landless demanded a redistribution of wealth because they felt the economy benefited only the rich. In Vienna, a demonstration on March 12, 1848 of more than 10,000 laid off factory workers and students were fired upon by the military unleashing a massive uprising directed toward Metternich, the chief minister of the Habsburg Monarchy and his State Council. Metternich ordered the municipal guard to stop the uprising; however, the municipal guard sided with the rebellion thus enhancing the uprising in Vienna. By March 15, King Ferdinand was forced to adhere to the demands of the Vienna uprising and promised to provide a constitution to the people of Austria. By late March, Pope Pius IX had granted a constitution for the Papal States as Metternich entered into exile and the Italian cities of Venice and Milan declared their independence from Austria. By April 30, 1848, Romanians in the cities of Czernowtiz and Transylvania, inspired by the Vienna uprising declared their independence from the Habsburg Empire and demanded …show more content…
It is also evident that European countries such as Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands were able to avoid widespread violence by implementing immediate constitutional reforms, while European countries such as England, Russia and Spain saw no widespread political protests or forced changes to their government’s constitutions. The reason for the diversity in the reaction of each country to the Revolution of 1848 was the socioeconomic factors that many historians have failed to factor in. It is relevant to assume that the agricultural crisis that occurred in 1845-47 had a significant impact on the industrial sector in 1848. The higher wheat and grain prices caused an unexpected increase in the cost of living thus reducing the demand for manufactured goods in some of the lesser industrialized countries of France, Austria and Prussia. More highly industrialized countries like England and the Netherlands where there was not a direct economic relationship between the agricultural and industrial sectors experienced minor fluctuations in their economy and no violent uprisings. Thus we can conclude that the negative economic down turn in the late 1840’s was a catalyst that helped to ignite the European Revolutions of 1848. We can also conclude that the countries with the most repressive regimes had uprisings that