Mathuen
Banned
The Scare of 1848
Chapter 1
The French Storm and the People’s Republic
_______________________________________
The beginning of the Scare of 1848 can be found in the French Revolution of 1848, otherwise known as the February-March Revolution. 18 years after the July revolution which brought the Orleans Monarchy under Louis-Phillipe of Orleans to power in France a revolution would rock France and abolish the Monarchy for good.
Prior to this France was ruled by Louis-Philipe I. Nicknamed the "Bourgeois Monarch", Louis-Phillipe was opposed by both the Legitimists who wanted the former throne reinstated and by the Republicans and Socialists who wanted the abolition of the Monarchy. A supporter of the Banking class and stock exchange magnates, railroad barons, owners of coal mines, as well as the owners of iron ore mines and forests Louis-Phillipe gained much support from the “Petite Bourgeoisie”. *At the same time Louis-Phillipe’s rule alienated the lower classes that were not able to participate in government and the industrial sector of France which was being muscled out by industries that supported Louis-Phillipe. The lower classes and the increasingly discontented industrial sector became strange bedfellows and formed the foundation of the “Reform Movement” which hoped to establish a Second French Republic. During his reign Louis-Phillipe chose to ignore the Reform Movement for the most part, instead focusing on consolidating his power through loyal industries and near complete economic control of the nation through the banking system. By 1848, disgust with the French system, which had moved to being a modern oligarchy of rich business owners wand the Orleans had reached a fever pitch. Just weeks before the revolution began former supporters of the Orleans distanced themselves from the leadership of France including Adolphe Thiers, who had become enraged over the years to Louis-Phillipe’s vocal denouncing and opposition to Parlimentarism.
Of the other economic undercurrents of the revolution was the lack of economic reforms by the Orleans Monarchy. The only mentionable social law was passed in 1841. Said law was meant to prohibit the use of child labor of children under 8 years of age and prohibited the employment of children under 13 years old for night time work. This law, however, was rarely enforced of rampantly ignored. The Crisis of 1846 brought on tough economic times for France followed by a full on depression just a year later in 1847. Poor harvests lead many to starve and a poor transportation system meant that food that was harvested simply did not reach those that needed it. Several regional riots occurred in the years of 1846-1847, all of which were crushed by the French Government. This however did not prevent the spreading of writings by “dangerous authors” such as Louis Blanc and Pierre-Joseph Proudhon.
- Louis Blanc, Author of Histoire de dix ans 1830-1840 and the First President of the People’s Republic of France.
Most seditious and dissenting thought found its place in “Revolution Banquets” which were fund-raising banquets meant as a go-around to the government’s illegalization of public meetings. Louis-Phillipe, coming to understand the point of these banquets made them illegal in February of 1848. Within days a revolution had started. On February 23rd the residence of chief minister for foreign and domestic policy, François Pierre Guillaume Gizot was surrounded. The guards of his residence had fixed their bayonets and were ready to charge at the revolutionaries, standing still however, waiting for Francois’ orders. At this point Francois’ son Maurice Guillaume shouted.
“What are you waiting for?! Deal with the filthy peasants!”
This made the revolutionaries enraged and they charged the residence guards. 30 revolutionaries died in the process, but the residence was taken and Maurice Guillaume was hanged. Before anyone could get to Francois’ however, he committed suicide. At around the same time revolutionaries had surrounded the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. An officer ordered the crowd not to pass, but people in the front of the crowd were being pushed by the rear. The officer ordered his men not to fire. However, in what is widely regarded as an accident, a soldier fired into the crowd, which resulted in the rest of the soldiers firing into the crowd killing over 60 people including the poet and revolutionary thinker Alphonse de Lamartine. Hearing about both events Louis-Phillipe ordered all military present to begin pushing back the revolutionaries. Armed conflict soon broke out, with revolutionaries using impromptu weaponry and arms taken off of dead soldiers. Some members of the military who were liberal Orleansists came to the side of the protestors. Paris had become a warzone. In what was little over a week over a thousand people had perished in the fighting until the revolutionaries surrounded the Royal Palace on March 2nd. The siege of the Royal Palace claimed the life of King Louis-Phillipe and with it the Orleans Monarchy.
With the fall of the French Monarchy a Republic was to be instituted with Louis Blanc as the President of the Provisional Government. Although the new republic was to initially be called the Second French Republic, a speech by Louis Blanc in Mid-March now known as the “People’s Republic Speech” would by so influential in the shaping of the post-revolutionary mindset that the government was to be referred to as the People’s Republic of France.
"We are no longer petty, petite or grand (bourgeoisie); we are no loner parisians, aquitainians, or anything so vain. We are people, we have always been and always shall be people. The France we must now have born from our collective hope and struggle must be of us and for us. It must not just be a French Republic, we must have a People's Republic."
- Excerpt from the " People's Republic" Speech, March 5th 1848.
In March of 1848 a new nation was born. This would be only the beginning of a long line of revolutions that would rock the European World and it's colonies. From Italy to Wallachia, revolutions would ripple across Europe with carrying results. Some would overthrow nations, some would compromise...
And some would be crushed.
Chapter 1
The French Storm and the People’s Republic
_______________________________________
The beginning of the Scare of 1848 can be found in the French Revolution of 1848, otherwise known as the February-March Revolution. 18 years after the July revolution which brought the Orleans Monarchy under Louis-Phillipe of Orleans to power in France a revolution would rock France and abolish the Monarchy for good.
Prior to this France was ruled by Louis-Philipe I. Nicknamed the "Bourgeois Monarch", Louis-Phillipe was opposed by both the Legitimists who wanted the former throne reinstated and by the Republicans and Socialists who wanted the abolition of the Monarchy. A supporter of the Banking class and stock exchange magnates, railroad barons, owners of coal mines, as well as the owners of iron ore mines and forests Louis-Phillipe gained much support from the “Petite Bourgeoisie”. *At the same time Louis-Phillipe’s rule alienated the lower classes that were not able to participate in government and the industrial sector of France which was being muscled out by industries that supported Louis-Phillipe. The lower classes and the increasingly discontented industrial sector became strange bedfellows and formed the foundation of the “Reform Movement” which hoped to establish a Second French Republic. During his reign Louis-Phillipe chose to ignore the Reform Movement for the most part, instead focusing on consolidating his power through loyal industries and near complete economic control of the nation through the banking system. By 1848, disgust with the French system, which had moved to being a modern oligarchy of rich business owners wand the Orleans had reached a fever pitch. Just weeks before the revolution began former supporters of the Orleans distanced themselves from the leadership of France including Adolphe Thiers, who had become enraged over the years to Louis-Phillipe’s vocal denouncing and opposition to Parlimentarism.
Of the other economic undercurrents of the revolution was the lack of economic reforms by the Orleans Monarchy. The only mentionable social law was passed in 1841. Said law was meant to prohibit the use of child labor of children under 8 years of age and prohibited the employment of children under 13 years old for night time work. This law, however, was rarely enforced of rampantly ignored. The Crisis of 1846 brought on tough economic times for France followed by a full on depression just a year later in 1847. Poor harvests lead many to starve and a poor transportation system meant that food that was harvested simply did not reach those that needed it. Several regional riots occurred in the years of 1846-1847, all of which were crushed by the French Government. This however did not prevent the spreading of writings by “dangerous authors” such as Louis Blanc and Pierre-Joseph Proudhon.
- Louis Blanc, Author of Histoire de dix ans 1830-1840 and the First President of the People’s Republic of France.
Most seditious and dissenting thought found its place in “Revolution Banquets” which were fund-raising banquets meant as a go-around to the government’s illegalization of public meetings. Louis-Phillipe, coming to understand the point of these banquets made them illegal in February of 1848. Within days a revolution had started. On February 23rd the residence of chief minister for foreign and domestic policy, François Pierre Guillaume Gizot was surrounded. The guards of his residence had fixed their bayonets and were ready to charge at the revolutionaries, standing still however, waiting for Francois’ orders. At this point Francois’ son Maurice Guillaume shouted.
“What are you waiting for?! Deal with the filthy peasants!”
This made the revolutionaries enraged and they charged the residence guards. 30 revolutionaries died in the process, but the residence was taken and Maurice Guillaume was hanged. Before anyone could get to Francois’ however, he committed suicide. At around the same time revolutionaries had surrounded the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. An officer ordered the crowd not to pass, but people in the front of the crowd were being pushed by the rear. The officer ordered his men not to fire. However, in what is widely regarded as an accident, a soldier fired into the crowd, which resulted in the rest of the soldiers firing into the crowd killing over 60 people including the poet and revolutionary thinker Alphonse de Lamartine. Hearing about both events Louis-Phillipe ordered all military present to begin pushing back the revolutionaries. Armed conflict soon broke out, with revolutionaries using impromptu weaponry and arms taken off of dead soldiers. Some members of the military who were liberal Orleansists came to the side of the protestors. Paris had become a warzone. In what was little over a week over a thousand people had perished in the fighting until the revolutionaries surrounded the Royal Palace on March 2nd. The siege of the Royal Palace claimed the life of King Louis-Phillipe and with it the Orleans Monarchy.
With the fall of the French Monarchy a Republic was to be instituted with Louis Blanc as the President of the Provisional Government. Although the new republic was to initially be called the Second French Republic, a speech by Louis Blanc in Mid-March now known as the “People’s Republic Speech” would by so influential in the shaping of the post-revolutionary mindset that the government was to be referred to as the People’s Republic of France.
"We are no longer petty, petite or grand (bourgeoisie); we are no loner parisians, aquitainians, or anything so vain. We are people, we have always been and always shall be people. The France we must now have born from our collective hope and struggle must be of us and for us. It must not just be a French Republic, we must have a People's Republic."
- Excerpt from the " People's Republic" Speech, March 5th 1848.
In March of 1848 a new nation was born. This would be only the beginning of a long line of revolutions that would rock the European World and it's colonies. From Italy to Wallachia, revolutions would ripple across Europe with carrying results. Some would overthrow nations, some would compromise...
And some would be crushed.
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