PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT

1
PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT

• Members were divided socially, personally, and
  politically
• All lacked government experience
• Had sympathy for the poor but were unwilling or
  unable to contemplate changes which might alter
  the existing social system
• Saw their role as preserving order and
  administrative continuity
• Anxious to keep their acts to a minimum until a
  Constituent Assembly could be elected to write a
  new constitution
• Saw role as essentially that of caretaker
  government

2
ACTS OF THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT

• Implemented universal manhood suffrage, freedoms
  of speech, the press, and assembly
• Opened membership in National Guard to all who
  wished to serve
• Social reform was pushed only by Ledru-Rollin,
  Louis Blanc, and Albert
• Issued decree which recognized the right to work
  and created the National Workshops
• Provided work for unemployed on public works
  projects
• Shortened work day
• Abolished sweatshops
• Established Luxembourg Commission
• Headed by Blanc
• Investigate working and living conditions and
  propose reforms to improve them

3
CREATION OF THE FRANKFURT ASSEMBLY

• Liberals from western and southern Germany
  elected a committee of seven on March 5, 1848
• Charged them with the responsibility for
  organizing a general meeting of representatives
  of all the German states
• To meet at Frankfurt
• Function would be to draw up a constitution for a
  united Germany

4
POPULAR MOBILIZATION

• Diverse groups attempted to take advantage of the
  revolutionary situation and seek recognition for
  their vital interests
• One manifestation was the creation of political
  clubs, discussion groups and newspapers
• In Paris, political clubs had over 100,000
  members at their peak and worker associations
  about 40,000

5
CONTINUED DISORDER

• Widespread, but sporadic, disorder
• Workers protested unemployment and low wages
• Peasants complained about taxes and growth of
  capitalist farming which threatened their
  traditional ways of life
• Peasants denounced Jewish usurers in eastern
  France and southwest Germany
• Abstract, universalist, political principles were
  reinterpreted by various groups to address their
  own immediate interests
• Revealed deep aversion to the existing social
  order

6
PROBLEMS

• Most post-February protest movements died out on
  their own because of lack of formal organization
  and a clear program
• But they nonetheless forced new liberal
  administrations to employ existing institutions
  of repression to restore and maintain order
• Created atmosphere of uncertainty
• Negative impact on economy and a renewal of
  economic crisis
• Liberals had serious problems
• Had to alleviate social problems caused by
  economic crisis and limit further disorders
• But they were also involved in a complex debate
  on constitutional reform and were anxious to
  conciliate radicals and conservatives

Alphonse Lamartine Leader of Provisional
Government
7
FRANCE

• Provisional Government was primarily concerned
  with promoting business confidence as means to
  restore prosperity
• This required maintaining public order and
  avoidance of socialistic measures
• Made regime dependent on the military
• 50,000 troops deployed to repress rural disorders
• Peasants upset about 45 increase in land tax
• Alienated peasant support for the Republic

8
PRUSSIA

• Liberals wanted parliamentary government with
  increased opportunities for members of middle
  class to participate in politics
• Firmly opposed to extending right to vote to
  uneducated and politically immature masses
• Denied that state had obligation to provide
  public assistance
• Insisted Prussia must retain autonomy in a future
  united Germany
• Social tension increased in Berlin
• Multitude of new newspapers, pamphlets, and
  political clubs appear
• Some called for division of large estates among
  poor

9
FRANKFURT ASSEMBLY I

• Restricted franchise and mass indifference
  resulted in the election of an assembly dominated
  by lawyers, professionals, and bureaucrats
• Factions developed over whether to included
  Austria in a united Germany, over who would be
  allowed to vote, and over social reform
• Acriminous debate over these issues ate away at
  credibility of Assembly

10
FRANKFURT ASSEMBLY II

• Presents final proposal in April 1849 to
  Frederick William IV
• Created federal union of all German states
  (except Austria), an elected national
  legislature, and an emperor with substantial
  executive power
• Offered position of emperor to Frederick William
• Rejects offer
• I will not accept a crown from the gutter
• Assembly thrown for a loop
• Was already divided over proposal
• Had no armed force to enforce its will
• Masses could care less
• Assembly dissolved itself

11
TIDE BEGINS TO TURN IN PRUSSIA

• In Prussia, government presented proposal to the
  United Diet to grant right to vote to all men
  over the age of 24
• They would then elect an assembly which would
  prepare to write a constitution
• Diet approved plan and assembly was elected in
  May 1848
• Dominated by liberals but had sizable minority of
  radicals
• Determined to reduce power of nobles through
  elimination of their tax privileges and limiting
  their local administrative and judicial authority
• These demands angered the king and he made it
  clear he had no intention of ever being a
  constitutional monarch
• Liberals in assembly gradually lost their
  confidence while that of conservatives increased
• King began to fire liberal ministers and replace
  them with conservatives

12
ITS OVER IN GERMANY

• Uprisings, organized by radicals and workers,
  become frequent
• As it became clear that Frederick William would
  not keep earlier promises
• Mainly strengthened hand of conservatives who
  blamed liberals for all the trouble
• Liberal leaders were meanwhile frightened by the
  unrest and drifted away from their commitment to
  reform
• Radical democrats feel betrayed and unleash one
  final explosion of unrest in May and June of 1849
• Baden, Westphalia, Saxony and Prussian Rhineland
• All failed
• Frederick William and other rulers withdraw all
  concessions
• Killing dream of a united Germany under a liberal
  constitutional government

13
BACK TO FRANCE

• Political clubs and worker associations demand
  profound social reforms
• Major demonstrations erupted on March 17 and
  April 16
• Club leaders form Club des clubs
• Sent representatives to the provinces to start
  clubs there
• All this frightened conservatives and contributed
  to rise in social tension

14
ELECTIONS TO THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY

• In elections to Constituent Assembly, rural
  voters elected conservative candidates
• Because conservative propaganda was better
  organized
• Confusing multitude of candidates caused
  inexperienced rural voters to turn to their
  traditional advisors
• Intimidation
• Indifference
• Results
• 300 republicans (only about 70-80 of them
  interested in social reform)
• 600 monarchists

15
UPRISING OF MAY 15

• Large crowd breaks in assembly hall and demands
  that France aid rebellion in Poland and take
  immediate measures to provide French workers with
  food and work
• Some demanded creation of a Committee of Public
  Safety and a special tax on the wealthy
• Uprising was easily put down
• Leaders all arrested
• Luxembourg Commission terminated and some
  political clubs closed
• Uprising strengthened the hand of those dedicated
  to restoring order

16
OUTBREAK OF THE JUNE DAYS

• Conservatives hated the National Workshops
• Saw them as a pointless waste of money and a
  breeding ground for dangerous ideas and agitation
• On June 22, the government announced that
  National Workshops would be closed
• Tens of thousands of workers would lose their
  only source of income and no alternative sources
  of relief for them were provided
• Spontaneous insurrection erupts in working class
  districts
• June 23
• June Days

17
INEVITABLE OUTCOME

• As many as 40,000-50,000 workers involved in June
  Days uprising
• Against them were army and National Guard units
• Commanded by General Eugene Cavaignac
• Also given temporary dictatorial powers
• Crushed uprising in three days
• Followed by 12,000 arrests

Eugene Cavaignac
18
SHIFT TO THE LEFT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

• New constitution provided for
• Single house 800 seat legislature elected by
  manhood suffrage
• A president (7-year term)
• In elections for new legislature, Montagnards
  (radicals) won 200 seats
• Strong in Paris and cities
• But also strong in many rural areas
• Result of success of Left in linking their
  political program to the pressing problems caused
  by depression in agriculture and rural industry

19
NEW LEGISLATURE

• Elections indicated that a large proportion of
  rural population had been won over to a radical,
  urban-based political program for first time
• But it was too late
• Nearly 500 conservative deputies also elected
• New legislature had significant radical minority
  but the vast majority was conservative

20
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF DECEMBER 1851

• Overwhelming victor was Louis Napoleon Bonaparte
• 40 year old nephew of Napoleon I
• Bankrupt adventurer and colossal opportunist
• Won because of famous name and because he
  promised everything to everybody
• Real agenda was to become absolute master of
  France

21
BEGINNING OF THE END

• Wanted to undo constitutional provision which
  limited him to one term
• To do this he had to have support of
  conservatives in legislature and army
• Conservatives, with Louis Napoleons support,
  intensify repression of Left
• Radical leaders harassed by police
• Radical symbols banned
• Most political clubs shut down
• To survive, radical groups in countryside forced
  underground and become secret societies

22
COUP DÉTAT OF DECEMBER 1851

• Louis Napoleon fails to get constitution changed
  so that he could have another term
• Launches coup détat on December 2, 1851
• Disbands legislature and announced that his term
  would be extended for the rest of his life and
  that his new title would be Prince President
• Little opposition in Paris but massive uprising
  in provinces
• Put down with massive arrests
• In December 1852, he proclaims himself emperor,
  Napoleon III

23
VIENNA 1848

• In April 1848, government announces it would
  create bicameral legislature
• With lower chamber elected by a restricted
  franchise
• Upper chamber made up of large landowners
  appointed by emperor
• Emperor had power of veto
• Announcement provoked more street demonstrations
• Plan abandoned
• New plan announced creating single house
  legislature elected by all employed men over age
  of 24
• Imperial Chamber
• First met in July 1848

24
RURAL POPULATION DROPS OUT

• Government makes concessions to rural population
• Abolishing compulsory labor services and all
  remaining feudal obligations
• Satisfied peasants and they lost interest in
  revolutionary activity
• Isolated urban radicals and liberals from rest of
  population

25
BOHEMIA

• Small groups of militants demand linguistic
  equality and greater independence
• Draw up petition in April 1848 asking for equal
  status of Czech language in schools and
  establishment of Bohemia Diet
• Asked for union of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia
  into single unit subject to Bohemia Diet
• Moderate demands
• Mainly limited to small group of middle class
  intellectuals in Prague

26
BRUTAL AUSTRIAN REACTION

• All Czechs wanted was an improvement of their
  position within the Austrian Empire
• Nonetheless, their demands received hostile
  reception in Vienna
• Army commanded by General Windischgratz sent to
  Prague
• Actions provoke revolt
• Windischgratz brutally represses revolt
• Vienna rejects all Bohemian demands

General Windischgratz
27
BACK TO ITALY

• Collapse of Austrian power in March 1848
  encourages Charles Albert of Piedmont-Sardinia,
  Pope Pius IX and Grand Duke of Tuscany to create
  joint army to drive Austrians completely from
  Italy
• Inspired by personal ambition and a complex mix
  of pressure from liberal elites

Charles Albert I
28
PIUS IX PULLS OUT

• Italian military campaign was a fiasco
• Pius IX withdraws support on April 29, 1848
• Upset that war would be Catholics against
  Catholics and might upset unity of Church
• Romans force him to flee city
• Democratic militants seize control of city and
  proclaim independent republic
• Lasted a few months until crushed by French
  troops in July 1849
• Pope returned to Rome, protected by French troops
  from his own people

29
FROM BAD TO WORSE

• Ferdinand of Naples also abandons war against
  Austria
• Charles Albert of Piedmont-Sardinia hesitated to
  take action
• Gave Austrian commander Radetzky chance to get
  reinforcements and recover momentum
• Charles Albert also discovered he did not have
  support of rural population
• Also there was division among ranks of Italian
  elite with militants such as Giuseppe Mazzini
  calling for a republic and peoples war

Radetzky
Mazzini
30
END OF THE LINE

• Charles Albert decisively defeated at Battle of
  Custoza
• July 25, 1848
• Defeated again in March 1849
• Charles Albert abdicates
• Austrian dominance gradually restored in northern
  Italy and they, the pope, and Ferdinand of Naples
  enact repressive measures to punish rebels and
  prevent future unrest

Battle of Custoza
31
HUNGARY

• Louis Kossuth presented list of demands to
  emperor in April 1848
• Equality before law
• Abolition of tithe and forced labor for peasants
• Abolition of noble tax privileges
• Establishment of liberal constitutional
  government for Hungary
• Austrian government initially accepts demands

Louis Kossuth
32
DIVISIONS

• Hungarian appointed to serve as prime minister
• Instead of Austrian viceroy
• Major victory for Hungarian aristocracy
• Had achieved degree of autonomy but preserved
  their dominance within Hungary
• But their victory incited Croatians, Slovaks, and
  Transylvanians to demand autonomy for themselves
• Magyars responded with violence, thereby
  increasing social tensions and weakening their
  own position

Slovak couple
33
THE PLOT THICKENS

• Austrian government encouraged minority leaders
  in their agitation for greater autonomy
• Also demanded that Hungary send troops to fight
  in Italy
• Kossuth refused, created National Defense
  Committee and declared independence
• Put together army of 170,000 volunteers and
  started to head for Vienna

34
END OF THE ROAD

• Volunteer Hungarian army defeated outside of
  Vienna
• Austrian army then attempts to invade Hungary but
  fails
• Nicholas I of Russia offers his military
  assistance
• Hungarians are then defeated
• 50,000 men killed on each side
• 120 leaders executed and another 150 sent to
  prison for 20 years

35
LAST DAMN SLIDE

• Situation in Austrian Empire similar to that in
  France and Prussia
• Liberals gradually lost power to the growing
  power of conservatives as they put down revolts
  in Bohemia, Italy, and Hungary
• Also due to liberals own fear of provoking
  unrest
• Austrian government then rescinded its original
  concessions one-by-one until nothing was left
• Liberal leaders then arrested