Transcript The Revolutions of 1848

The
Revolutions
Of 1848
“The Springtime of Peoples”
The turning point at
which history failed to
turn.
--- George Macaulay Trevelyn
[1937]
Atmosphere in Europe
G Nationalism
G Napoleonic Wars
G Napoleonic Code
G Congress of
Vienna
G Age of
Metternich
G Industrialization
Liberals vs. Nationalists in Italy
G Italy was divided in 1815
G Risorgimento – nationalist movement aimed at
liberation & unification
 Mazzini – Young Italy Movement (Carbonari) goal
was to create a republic
G 1848-1849 nationalist revolt & overthrew
Austrian rulers in Lombardy & Venetia
 Mazzini seizes Rome & set up a republic
 1849 – most territories were recaptured
(Sardinia remained independent)
G Italians were divided over the government
Conservatives
Liberals
Federation
Constitutional Monarchy
Kingdom of Sardinia
G Giuseppe Mazzini established a Roman Republic
in 1849 protected by Giuseppe Garibaldi.
G Pope Pius IX forced to flee.
G Victor Emmanuel II takes the
throne in Sardinia-Piedmont.
Reasons for Failure in Italy
G Rural people did not support the
revolutions.
 Revolutionaries focused mainly on urban
middle classes.
G The revolutionaries were not united.
 Fear of radicals among moderates lead
to the collapse of the revolutions.
G Lack of leadership and
administrative experience among
the revolutionaries.
Italian Unification Movement
5. Unification of Italy 1860
4. Garibaldi and the Black Shirts
Rise up
3. War with Austria 1859
2. Cavour allies with Napoleon III
1. Young Italy Movement
Steps to Unification
G 1. Young Italy Movement – 1848-1849
Giuseppe Mazzini – organized a
nationalistic movement, goal was to
create a republic.
G 2. Cavour Allies with Napoleon III
 Cavour modernized Sardinia by…
 Set up an alliance against Austria
Steps to Unification cont.
G 3. War with Austria 1858
 Drove Austrians out of Italy
 Nap III feared Prussian interference &
signed a peace treaty with Austria
 Results…
G 4. Garibaldi and the Red Shirts
 Wanted total Italian Freedom
 Led the Southern States and Sicily to
independence
5.Italy is Unified Under King Victor
Emmanuel II 1860
The
German
States
The Unification of Germany
The “Three Germanies”
Prussia as a Leader
G Wanted to unite
German states (laws,
currency, rulers)
G 1700’s strengthened by
Frederick William I & II
 Napoleon I effects
G Became military power
G 1815 creation of the
German Confederation
G Nationalist favored Prussian
rule
The Zollverein
G Inflation created
by tariffs made
trade btw costly.
G 1818 Junkers &
others persuaded
king of Prussia to
abolish tariffs
w/in Prussian
territories
G German
industrialization
G French influence
 National
Assembly &
Const. Monarchy
Bismark & Prussian Strength
G Prime Minister
 Powerful army
 Opposed
democracy
 Authoritarian rule
 Expand Prussia
G Political policies
Three Wars of Unification
G Goals:
G Danish War
 Holstein
 Schleswig
 Danish King
Christian IX
7 Weeks War
G Napoleon III
remained neutral
G Allied w/ Italy to
provoke Austria
G New technology
G Treaty of Prague
Ems Dispatch [1870]: Catalyst for War
1868 revolt in Spain.
Spanish leaders wanted
Prince Leopold von Hohenz.
[a cousin to the Kaiser & a
Catholic], as their new king.
France protested & his name was withdrawn.
The Fr. Ambassador asked the Kaiser at Ems
to apologize to Nap. III for supporting
Leopold.
Bismarck “doctored” the telegram from
Wilhelm to the French Ambassador to make it
seem as though the Kaiser had insulted
Napoleon III.
Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871
G Results:
 Southern
German States
unite
 Nap III
surrenders
 Prussia
occupies Paris
 Alsace &
Lorraine
Formation of the German
Empire 1/18/1871
G Constitution gave: 25
states, independent
rulers w/ domestic
power to govern, tax &
enforce the law
G Southern States
G Federal Government
G Kaiser
G Government
 Bundesrat
 Reichstag
G Prussian state strongly
influenced German
government
Opposition for the Future
G Problems with the Empire
G Prussian power was to influential in the
German Gov’t
G “Kulturkampf” (Culture struggle)
 Anti-catholic program:
 Reaction to Bismark – Centre Party doubled in size
 1878 Bismark had to end his policy
Industrial Development under
Bismarck
G Rich Natural Resources led
to the development of RR &
canals.
G German’s took advantage of
other nation’s industrial
advancement.
G Bismarck’s advancements
Socialism in Germany
G Socialism – economic system in which the society
collectively or the government owns the means of
production & distributes the goods, capital & land
equitably.
 In Germany socialist are a group of political
economists who advocated for state aid to
better the working class and their standard of
living.
 Working class demands –
 Social-Democratic Party – urban workers
• Gained 12 seats in the Reichstag in 1869
Anti-Socialist Campaign
G Blamed the socialists for attempted
assassination of the Kaiser.
 Reichstag dissolved – new elections
 Prohibited written socialist propaganda
 Banned public meetings
G 1883 Bismarck granted social reforms:
 Insurance against sickness & accidents
 Limit working hrs & certain paid holidays.
 Guaranteed pensions for the disabled &
retired
G *leader in gov’t initiated social reforms
The New Kaiser
G 1888 Wilhelm I died
G Prince Frederick III
died within months of
confirmation
G Wilhelm II became
emperor at 29
 Conservative
 Authoritarian
control
 Reduce Bismarck’s
power
G 1890 socialist gained
more seats –
Disagreement Erupted
After The Resignation of
Bismark
G Germany had a
strong military,
economy but a
politically
stiffened
parliament
G Wilhelm II
increased size &
strength of the
army & navy
THE
AFTERMATH
Democrats Swept Out of Europe
Why did the 1848 Revolutions
Fail?
G They failed to attract popular support from
the working classes.
G The middle classes led these revolutions, but
as they turned radical, the middle class held
back.
G Nationalism divided more than united.
G Where revolutions were successful, the Old
Guard was left in place and they turned
against the revolutionaries.
G Some gains lasted [abolition of serfdom, etc.]
G BUT, in the long term, most liberal gains would
be solidified by the end of the 19c:
 The unification of Germany and Italy.
 The collapse of the Hapsburg Empire at the end
of World War I.
The Bottom Line
G It looked like the Conservative forces
had triumphed.
G BUT…
 Things had changed forever.
 Economic/social problems continued to
be constant challenges to the ruling
order.
 Conservatives would have to make
concessions in order to stay in power.
 Many of the limited Liberal
achievements remained permanent.