The revolutions would not have occurred without the economic crises that hit Europe in the late 1840s. Discuss

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HST5306 “The revolutions would not have occurred without the economic crises that hit Europe in the late ‘40s”. Discuss with reference to at least two countries.

The trend of recent historical research on the European revolutions of 1848 points heavily to an outbreak of radical ideology and long-term socio-economic factors as the main causes of the upheaval. However, a number of contemporary observers, in line with Marx’s original understanding of the matter, have interpreted the revolutions as a direct consequence of short-term economic factors; that is, the shortfall in food supply that shook much of the Continent in 1845-47, and the industrial slump that followed. An exploration into the effect the economic crises had on European countries, when considered alongside an evaluation of the degree of importance the crises held in causing the 1848 revolutions will enable accurate conclusions to be drawn.

        The first factor that is pointed to as key to the outbreak of the pan-European revolutions of 1848 was poor governance. France is a good example of how the political state of a country went some way to bring about revolution. The February Revolution ended the Orleans monarchy of 1830-1848, forcing Citizen King Louis-Philippe to abdicate and flee to the Britain. Prior to the rule of Louis-Philippe, Charles X sat in the throne, supported primarily by the ultra-royalists. During his time on the throne, he made attempts to extend his powers as constitutional monarch, taking a number of steps to strengthen his own power and weaken that of the lower house. In 1830, Charles X issued the Four Ordinances of St. Cloud. These ordinances abolished the freedom of the press, reduced France’s electorate by 75% and completely dissolved the lower house. The citizenry immediately reacted, revolting against the monarchy during the Three Glorious Days of July 26th - 29th 1830. Charles was forced to abdicate, and Louis Philippe took his place, replacing the old Charter by the Charter of 1830. After the events of February 1848 the Second Republic was introduced, with the poet Alphonse de Lamartine serving as virtual dictator for the next three months. This all goes some way to show the political turmoil France found itself in in the years leading up to, and indeed after the February revolution. Similarly, the Sicilian revolution of independence in 1848, the third and final of its’ kind (the first being in 1800) was launched against the poor governance of King Ferdinand II amid increasingly strong notions of nationhood. The Bourbon court was forced to leave Naples, giving Sicilian nobles the opportunity to create a provisional government and a new constitution for Sicily, one that was based on liberal democratic principles.

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        A further cause of discontent amongst the populace of Europe against their respective rulers at the time was a general failure to react to the tide of liberalism sweeping across much of the Continent. In the Sicilian uprising, the revolutionaries were reacting to the repressive rule of Ferdinand II, and hence demanded the introduction of a liberal, democratic constitution. The French had experienced repressive rule under one monarch or another for after the Restoration. Unlike some more advanced democracies in Europe, notably Britain, universal suffrage was yet to be introduced- no notions of popular sovereignty existed. Louis-Philippe’s outlaw of political ...

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