Inspired by the class revolt in France, the economic crisis of 1846-1847, and the industrial revolution, central Europe, including the nations of Germany and Austria, erupted in heated revolutions seeking equality/reform from their respective governments in February 1848. By March 1848, the German Confederation saw an uprising in the Urban and Rural Popular classes as a result of the “political powder keg” of Neo-Feudal regimes, the new political force of nationalism, and the alliance of middle class bourgeoisie and working class against the local Princes/landed aristocracies. Nevertheless, the aristocracies quelled the revolutions as a result of the lethargic middle class bourgeoisie and the contradicting ideologies of the working class.
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As a result of the industrial revolution the working class in the German states was larger than ever before. Consequently, the biggest threat to Neo-Feudalism was the conflicting nationalisms within the German states. As uprisings started to take place in the capital cities of the various German states in March 1848, the combination of the liberal bourgeoisie and traditional working class called for the creation of a unified Germany governed by a national parliament and headed by a constitutional monarch. In April 1848, in order to appease the masses, the traditional rulers of the German states replaced fervent, reactionary ministers with liberals, eased censorship of the press, and permitted democratic elections to appease the German public. These liberal changes to the German government made by the German princes gave the liberal bourgeoisie the illusion that they had won, and therefore, convened the “Frankfurt Parliament” in May 1848 to decide on the unification of Germany and varied liberal reforms. However, the liberals did not take control of the government, armies, nor ally with the popular classes which would be the inevitable downfall of a unified …show more content…
They stood for no exact revolutionary aims, and were inclined to interpret “freedom” in a way the meant fulfilling their own whims.
This shows that if the Frankfurt Parliament had not taken so long to contemplate their decision then the Assembly would not have missed its opportunity to unify the German states and the workers would have followed the liberals into a new Germany. Hence, The revolutions in Central Europe proved that nationalism and liberalism were not natural allies and that nationalists were more often indifferent to the rights of other peoples. Today the Revolutions of 1848 are looked upon as a watershed in the history of Europe and the rest of the Western world. The end of the revolutions saw the Age of Romanticism draw to a close marking the end of liberalism in Germany. Many liberal citizens of the German states would leave their homeland for the United States or a more unified country so as to feel more included instead of stifled by the nationalistic leaning states that were forming. The revolutions opened the way to change as they forced governments to adopt new methods to stay in power and as they helped reshape the mentality of various groups within the at-large society. However, the failure of the revolution and the subsequent policies of the post revolutionary governments stunted the growth of a democratic
As a result of the industrial revolution the working class in the German states was larger than ever before. Consequently, the biggest threat to Neo-Feudalism was the conflicting nationalisms within the German states. As uprisings started to take place in the capital cities of the various German states in March 1848, the combination of the liberal bourgeoisie and traditional working class called for the creation of a unified Germany governed by a national parliament and headed by a constitutional monarch. In April 1848, in order to appease the masses, the traditional rulers of the German states replaced fervent, reactionary ministers with liberals, eased censorship of the press, and permitted democratic elections to appease the German public. These liberal changes to the German government made by the German princes gave the liberal bourgeoisie the illusion that they had won, and therefore, convened the “Frankfurt Parliament” in May 1848 to decide on the unification of Germany and varied liberal reforms. However, the liberals did not take control of the government, armies, nor ally with the popular classes which would be the inevitable downfall of a unified …show more content…
They stood for no exact revolutionary aims, and were inclined to interpret “freedom” in a way the meant fulfilling their own whims.
This shows that if the Frankfurt Parliament had not taken so long to contemplate their decision then the Assembly would not have missed its opportunity to unify the German states and the workers would have followed the liberals into a new Germany. Hence, The revolutions in Central Europe proved that nationalism and liberalism were not natural allies and that nationalists were more often indifferent to the rights of other peoples. Today the Revolutions of 1848 are looked upon as a watershed in the history of Europe and the rest of the Western world. The end of the revolutions saw the Age of Romanticism draw to a close marking the end of liberalism in Germany. Many liberal citizens of the German states would leave their homeland for the United States or a more unified country so as to feel more included instead of stifled by the nationalistic leaning states that were forming. The revolutions opened the way to change as they forced governments to adopt new methods to stay in power and as they helped reshape the mentality of various groups within the at-large society. However, the failure of the revolution and the subsequent policies of the post revolutionary governments stunted the growth of a democratic