In 1848 there was a series of revolutions that spread throughout Europe from France to Austria. There were some common elements to the revolutions despite the cultural and socials differences between each of the countries of Sicily, Italy, France, Lombardy, Germany, and Austria. The political commonality lay in the desire for the people of each country to have more impact and influence on their own government. The economic commonality was the food shortage instigated by the agriculture crisis of the devastated potato and cereal harvests through Europe. The social commonality was the overpopulation in the urban areas as a consequence of the Industrial Revolution. This had encouraged a migration from the farming community to the city in search of industrial work. The final element common in each circumstance is that each revolution failed to ensure a permanent transition to a new form of government as the army and troops for each country re-established the monarchy.
The first revolution was in January in Sicily were rebels defeated the troops and forced a constitution on King Ferdinand, and this spread quickly through the rest of Italy. In February it was the socialists in France who prompted workers into rebelling and they overthrew the monarchy. King Louis-Philippe escaped to England and the revolutionaries established a provisional government. In March, Milan, located in what was then Lombardy, raised a revolt against Austrian occupation and instituted a provisional government. Also in March, Germany’s states failed to prevent the nationalist revolutionaries seizing control. Finally, the Austrian Revolution was predicated on the challenges from the ethnic diversity of a myriad of nationalities among them Croatians, Romanians, Italians, Germans, Hungarians was well as Germans, and a number of others. The first revolution had a domino effect for each country as the people learned of successful resistance and rebellion and so they continued to topple. However, in each country, this was only a temporary situation and the rebels were conquered within a few months to a year.
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The mutual pursuit of constitutionalism, civic rights and nationalism, were the driving force behind the 1848 European Revolutions. While the revolutions were not entirely successful it did result in the universal male suffrage which was the right for men to vote regardless of social or economic standing. It also provided the foundation for republics, democracies, and constitutional monarchies which were established in succeeding years.
- Scott, K. (2010). 1848: Year of Revolution. Parameters, 40(2), 117-119. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/757204241?accountid=16574. Accessed 20 June 2017
- Waling, Geerten. “Associations in the European Revolutions of 1848.” Leiden University, 2015, www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/research/research-projects/humanities/associations-in-the-european-revolutions-of-1848. Accessed 20 June 2017.
