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The Revolution : The Causes Of The 1848 Revolution

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The 1848 Revolution The Kramer family is living here in 1848 when revolution explodes throughout many European cities. This crisis starts with a major crop failure leading to a famine in 1846 and 1847 that has important and cumulative effects throughout society. The cost of food rises steeply in Krefeld and in other towns throughout Europe. It reduces the purchasing power available for other products such as clothing. Textile towns like Krefeld are devastated as markets collapse and creditors call in their loans. Bankruptcies cause severe pressure on the banks, some of which suspend activities early in 1848, placing Krefeld’s businesses and thousands of its workers at risk. Adding to the problem is a growing unemployment. There are bread riots and other forms of violent collective action in cities across Europe. The economic crisis erodes trust in the government. Riots spread throughout the Prussian cities including Bonn, Berlin, and Krefeld. These riots are led by the lower-class workers demanding an end to the high price of food and to their oppressive working conditions. Joining, and in some cases leading the riots, is the middle class. The middle class, led by doctors, lawyers, and merchants, are voicing a completely separate set of demands. They want to have a voice in the government’s decisions as well as the right to have free speech and a free press. Unfortunately for Theodore and thousands of other middle-class Germans, the Prussian army, remaining loyal to King

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