The Revolution in France (1848-1849)

No historical event can be considered without specifying the context of the era. That revolution in France in 1848-1849 is inextricably linked with the events that determined the mood of the XIX century.

Kulbits of the XIX century

Until the end of the XVIIII century, the country remained an absolute monarchy, symbol of which was the Bourbon dynasty. However, the revolution in France in 1789 caused the fall of the customary state system and the execution of King Louis XVI. In 1792 the country was declared a republic.

But the first democratic experience was unsuccessful. The fall of the monarchy forced the rest of the European countries to unite against the First Republic. The society consolidated around the charismatic figure of Napoleon Bonaparte, who declared himself emperor in 1804. His expansion in Europe ended in failure. Defeat in Russia, as well as under Leipzig and Waterloo, put an end to this adventure. Bonaparte was exiled to St. Helena, and in his country the Restoration of the Bourbons began (1814 - 1830).

The reactionary policy of the government and its attempts to restore the old order forced the bourgeois part of society to rebel. The July Revolution in France in 1830 overthrew the unpopular Charles X and brought to the throne of his distant relative Louis Philippe. The riots in Paris were roared throughout Europe and led to unrest in Germany and Poland.

All these events were links in one chain and reflected the complicated evolution of the country's society. In this sense, the revolution in France in 1848 is no exception. It only continued the irreversible process that took place in the XIX century.

The oppression of the bourgeoisie

All the failures of Louis Philippe on the throne were of a similar nature. The "bourgeois king", who came to power on the wave of liberal sentiment in society, eventually departed more and more from the policy that was expected of him. This is the reason for the revolution in France.

The situation with suffrage remained painful, for which they fought since the fall of the Bastille. Despite the fact that the number of people with this privilege grew, their number did not exceed 1% of the total population of the country. In addition, the qualification was introduced, according to which the equivalence of votes was abolished. Now the significance of the voter was determined with respect to his income and the payment of taxes to the treasury. Such an order greatly weakened the position of the petty bourgeoisie, which lost the opportunity to defend its interests in the parliament, and deprived the people of the hope that the July revolution in France had brought.

One of the characteristic acts of the monarch in foreign policy was the accession to the Sacred Union, which included Russia, Prussia and Austria-Hungary. All these states were absolute monarchies, and their alliance lobbied for the interests of the nobility, who was torn to power.

Corruption of the July Monarchy

The legislative body of the state itself was to remain independent of the crown. However, in practice this principle was constantly violated. The monarch promoted his supporters to the deputies and ministers. One of the brightest characters of this spill was Francois Guizot. He became Minister of Internal Affairs, and later the head of government and actively defended the interests of the king in the main body of government.

Guizot outlawed Republicans, considered the main threat to the system. In addition, Louis Philippe's protege supported loyal entrepreneurs, trusted them with large state orders (for example, the construction of railways). The patronage of power by "its own" and blatant corruption are important reasons for the revolution in France.

Such a policy has had a negative impact on the lives of the proletarians, who, in fact, are deprived of the opportunity to appeal to the head of state. Populism of the monarch for the first years blunted contradictions with the lower strata of the population, but by the end of his rule he was no longer loved. In particular, the press gave him the unflattering nickname of the "king-pear" (the crowned man grew fat with the years).

Banquets of reformists

The immediate beginning of the revolution in France is due to the decree of François Guizot, who banned the next meeting of the opposition. Meetings of freethinkers of the time took the form of banquets, which became one of the symbols of the era. Since there were restrictions in the country concerning freedom of assembly, supporters of the electoral reform gathered behind the festive tables. Such banquets of the reformists took a mass character, and the ban of one of them stirred up the whole metropolitan society. The government's mistake was also the threat to use force in case of disobedience.

On the day of the banquet (February 22, 1848), thousands of Parisians stood on the barricades, on the streets of the city. Guizot's attempt to disperse the demonstrators with the help of the National Guard failed: the troops refused to shoot people, and some officers even went to the side of the protesters.

Resignations and abdication

This turn of events made Louis-Philippe accept the resignation of the government the very next day, February 23. It was decided that Guizot would bring together new ministers from among the supporters of reform. It seemed that a compromise was found between the authorities and society. However, the same evening a tragic incident occurred. The guard guarding the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs shot a crowd of people.

The murders changed slogans. Now, Louis Philippe was demanded to abdicate. Not wanting to test fate, on February 24 the monarch refused the throne. By the last decree he declared his grandson as his heir. The rebels did not want to see the next king on the throne, and the next day they broke into the Chamber of Deputies, where a decision was taken on the continuity of power. Immediately it was decided to declare the country a republic. The revolution in France won.

Reforms

In the first few days, the interim government had to resolve the conflict with society. The main demand of the insurgents was the introduction of universal suffrage. The deputies decided to give the right to vote to the entire male population of the country that has reached the age of 21. This reform has become a real step forward. Such a freedom could not boast of any state in the world.

At the same time, the proletariat demanded affordable and well-paid jobs. For this purpose, national workshops were created in which everyone could receive a vacancy. The initial payment of 2 francs a day suited the workers, but the costs for the workshops were not affordable for the government. Already by the summer subsidies were reduced, and later the innovation was generally abolished. Instead of workshops, the unemployed were asked to join the army or raise the province's economy.

Immediately, the riots began. Paris once again became covered with barricades. The government ceased to control the situation and decided to introduce troops into the capital. It became clear that the revolution in France was not over yet, and its relapse would be very painful. The suppression of the workers' uprising, led by General Cavaignac, resulted in several thousand victims. The blood on the streets of Paris forced the country's leadership to stop the reforms for a while.

Elections of 1848

Despite the summer events, presidential elections still had to be held. Voting took place on December 10, and according to its results, Louis Napoleon won an unexpected victory with 75% of support.

The figure of the nephew of the legendary emperor enjoyed the sympathy of society. Even during the reign of Louis-Philippe, the former emigrant tried to seize power in the country. In 1840 he landed at Boulogne; On his side there were many officers of the garrison. However, the failed usurper was arrested by a local regiment and was tried.

Contrary to the prevailing strict attitude to all kinds of revolutionaries, Louis Napoleon received only a life sentence in prison. At the same time, he was not restricted in his rights: freely wrote and published articles, accepted visitors.

The situation of the prisoner of the regime allowed him to enlist the support already after the overthrow of the monarchy. Most of the votes cast for him belonged to commoners and workers, among whom Napoleon's surname enjoyed universal respect and memories of the times of the empire.

Impact on Europe

Europe could not stay away from those trends that brought the next revolution in France. First of all, discontent spread to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, where there was not only a crisis of the political system, but there was tension in the relations between the numerous nations united in a large state.

Clashes occurred immediately in several national provinces: Hungary, Lombardy, Venice. The requirements are similar: independence, the establishment of civil liberties, the destruction of survivals of feudalism.

Also, the bourgeois revolution in France gave confidence to the dissatisfied sections of the population in the German states. A distinctive feature of the events for the Germans was the demand of protesters to unite the disunited country. Intermediate successes were the convening of a general parliament - the Frankfurt National Assembly, as well as the abolition of censorship.

Nevertheless, the European protests were suppressed and came to naught, and without achieving tangible results. The bourgeois revolution in France was once again more successful than the failed experiments of its neighbors. In some states (for example, in Great Britain and Russia), there were no serious actions against the authorities at all, although objective reasons for discontent of socially unprotected layers of the population were enough everywhere.

Results in France

Revolutions in France, the table of which covers several decades of the XIX century, did not create conditions for a stable political system. Coming to power, Louis Bonaparte for a few years of his presidency managed to make a coup and declare himself emperor. The state made another loop in its development and returned several decades ago. However, the age of empires was coming to an end. The experience of 1848 allowed the nation once again to return to the republican system after the defeat in the war with Prussia.