AP Euro - 6.6 - The Revolutions of 1848

Greek War of Independence

(1821-32) Greek nationalists rebelled against and defeated the conservative Ottomans with the help of Britain, France, and Russia

• Note that they only helped to eliminate a common enemy, not to help Greece

Decembrist Revolt

A group of Russian officers (Decembrists) failed a coup for liberal ideals, leading Tsar Nicolas I to enforce conservatism more strictly

July Revolution

• In France, middle class liberals who lost their voting rights and working-class folks staged an insurrection at the capitol streets

• Charles X abdicated the throne, restoring Louis Philippe

Anger in France

• The people demanded a more liberal government

• Bread shortages

• Parisians building massive barricades across streets for protection

• Louis Philippe abdicated, and a provisional government restored the French republic

French Republic

• The class division weakened the provisional government

• The socialists wanted government-sponsored workhouses, which were widely established across France

• Following the next election, middle class men in the National Assembly took most of these down

Napoleon III

• Elected after the National Assembly completed a new Constitution which provided for a strong executive

• He later crowned himself emperor

Inspiration

The revolution in France led to similar events in Prussia and other German states for constitutional reforms and voting rights, as well as the unification of the German states

Frankfurt Assembly

• Delegates from the German states gathered and drafted a new Constitution to unify the German states

• The Constitution was scrapped by Prussian king Frederick William IV

Austrian Empire

Different ethnic groups all under a sense of nationalism wanted self-rule, so they revolted and failed

Alexander II

• Concerned about Russia’s loss in the Crimean War

• Emancipated the serfs of Russia

• Created independent courts which ensured equality before the law for all Russians

• Increased Russia’s industrial capacity to modernize Russia’s military

Alexander III

• Successor after Alexander II’s assassination

• Not interested in liberal reform

Sergei Witte

Alexander’s finance minister who modernized Russia’s economy with protective tariffs to boost domestic purchases, as well as placing the Russian currency on the gold standard

Revolution of 1905

Russians demanded a more liberal government, leading Alexander to appoint Witte to establish the October Manifesto

October Manifesto

1. Universal suffrage to men

2. Citizenship to all Russians

3. Freedom of speech

4. Representative body called the Duma

Note: the tsar could veto any law and later rolled back some of these reforms