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How Successful Was The French Revolution In The 19th Century

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Following the conclusion of the French Revolution in 1815, several other revolutions took place in the hopes that the middle class people would be able to gain power. These revolutions were predominantly led by the middle class working people, and though they were successful at first, they did not ultimately succeed. Although the European revolutions of the mid 19th century occurred because the people wanted change, they were suppressed, which led to a return to conservatism. The 1800s in Europe saw the foundation being laid for revolution in several countries, such as France, Austria, and Germany. Bad harvests had led to economic instability, and incomes were not growing with industrialization. In France in 1814, the Bourbon monarchy was restored and a constitution was passed that protected some of the gains made by lower and middle classes during the French Revolution. Voting, however, was still very restricted, with only a third of a percent of the total French population holding voting rights. This, along with the fact that the government had not done much to help the struggling economy, was enough to spark a revolution in 1848. Led by the liberal intellectuals and the working middle class, the revolutionaries demanded the end of the monarchy and established an executive committee to take its place. A constitution was passed, giving more rights to the people, like abolishing slavery and giving every man the right to …show more content…

The liberals in Austria began to call for representative government, constitutions, and more freedoms. Once again, the middle class revolted, this time with the help of students in Austria. The violence began in Vienna when the government did not immediately give the people what they wanted. Soon, however, Emperor Ferdinand I succumbed and promised change. As it had in France, the revolutionary movement began to break down by class lines and it grew

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