Revolutionary Year 1848 in the Czech Lands

Vocabulary terms and historical concepts related to the revolutionary events of 1848 in the Habsburg monarchy and the Czech lands.

Revolution (Revoluce)

A fundamental change in society or an overthrow/coup.

Petition (Petice)

A written request addressed to a monarch or representatives of political power.

Poddanství (Serfdom / Subjection)

The obligation and duty of an individual toward the nobility (vrchnost), the state, and the church (e.g., robota).

Censorship (Cenzura)

The official government inspection and control of information, news, articles, texts, and books.

Vrchnost (Lord of the Manor)

The owner of an estate on which serfs and subjects lived and worked.

Constitution (Ústava)

The supreme law of a state.

Robota (Corvée)

Unpaid forced labor owed by serfs to the nobility; its abolition was a central demand in 1848 and the sole permanent success of the revolutionary events.

Národní gardy (National Guards)

Volunteer armed units formed by citizens during the June 1848 Prague uprising to fight against imperial troops.

March 1848 Petition

A petition sent by Czechs to the emperor demanding the abolition of robota and censorship, improved standing for workers, equality of the Czech language with German, and partial autonomy within the Habsburg monarchy.

Emperor Ferdinand I the Benign (Ferdinand I. Dobrotivý)

The Habsburg emperor who promised to grant a constitution to the people following the outbreak of unrest in Vienna.

General Alfred Windischgrätz

The commander of the imperial army in Prague who used artillery and military superiority to suppress the June 1848 Prague uprising.

Prague Uprising (Pražské povstání, June 1848)

An uprising in Prague where poorly armed citizens built street barricades against the military; it was crushed by imperial troops, leaving the monarch's power unrestricted except for the abolition of serfdom and robota.