France - 1848 Revolution

• Unemployment, food shortage, high prices, poor railway system, and rebellion and protests being dealt with harshly all led to the start of the 1848 revolutions.
• America declaring independence from Britain and the Declaration of Independence opened many people's eyes to new possibilities.
• France comprised of three estates, the nobility, the religious leadership, and everybody else.
• In France, the lower class suffered and paid high taxes while the King, the aristocrats, and the church leaders all lived a luxurious life and made all the rules.
• In 1789, people had had enough and a revolution took place resulting in the execution of the King and Queen.
• Robespierre took over the running of the country after the King and Queen had been executed, creating the "First Republic'.
• The 'First Republic' soon became known as the "Reign of Terror' as Robespeirre beheaded anybody who dared to disagree with him or not do as they were told.
• People were unhappy with Robespierre and it resulted in him losing his head too.
• After Robespierre, people of France decided it was time to elect a leader. The man elected was a war hero named Napoleon Bonaparte. Unfortunately, he claimed god-like status and invaded neighboring countries and refused to give up his crown.
• Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to an island in 1812.
• Brother of the first king (Louis XVIII) was crowned (first king's son had died in jail). He was no better than his brother and the people of France were unhappy again. A boat of his soldiers went to the island to rescue Napoleon Bonaparte and he was welcomed back with open arms.
• The return of Napoleon Bonaparte caused fighting to break out between France and the rest of Europe. After the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, he was exiled again to an even more remote island where he died 2 years later.
• Louis XVIII was put back in charge after Napoleon was exiled for the second time and his younger brother, Charles X followed a few years later.
• Charles X was worse than either of his brothers as he lived an extravagant lifestyle, didn't care about the people, and took over the press so nobody could say anything negative about him.
• An uprising took place in 1830 called the 'Three Glorious Days', where people protested against Charles X, barricades were put up, and revolution flags were held, causing Charles X to flee due to his lack of support.
• After Charles X fled, the people decided to put Louis Philippe, the 'Citizen King', in charge. He was intended to start a new monarchy that listened to the wishes of the citizens.
• Louis Philippe's reign was known as the 'July Monarchy' and he ruled for 18 years.
• By 1848, although Louis Philippe was supposed to be a new kind of king that was answerable to the citizens, only wealthy men were allowed to vote meaning that the majority of the country had no say in how it was run.
• While Louis Philippe was reigned, those who wanted a republic - where the head of state is elected - complained about the dangers of having a king. Extreme revolutionaries even tried to assassinate Louis Philippe by planting a gunpowder bomb where his official parade was taking place.
• The bomb in Louis Philippe's official parade exploded killing courtiers and soldiers, but none of the royal family were seriously injured.
• Suffrage: The right to vote in political elections.
• The French middle class watched the changes in Britain - the 1832 Reform act which gave people more suffrage.
• The only real law that benefitted ordinary people was the law passes in 1841 banning the use of child labor under 8 years old during the day and under 13 at night, however this law was not always obeyed
• People had limited say and political gatherings were banned so activists began to hold banquets called 'Campagne des Banquets', which provided a legal way for people to discuss their views on the government.
• Between July 1847 and February 1848, over 70 banquets were held throughout Paris.
• In January 1848 the French government, under Louis Philippe, banned the banquets.
• People were furious about the banning of banquets and revolted against Louis Philippe. Barricades were set up and fighting broke out between citizens and guards.
• Prime Minister Guizot resigned on February 23, 1848, seeing as there was another revolution on the way.
• Upon hearing the news of Prime Minister Guizot's resignation, people gathered outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. An officer ordered the crowd not to pass, but people pushed forward.
• At the gathering outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the officer told his men to fix their bayonets to avoid shooting. However, a soldier accidentally discharged his musket, causing the other soldiers to shoot into the crowd. 52 were killed.
• People became angry after the accidental shooting and believed that the king was trying to use force. Fires were lit and they stormed the gates and entered the Palace of Tuileries. Louis Philippe realized his reign was over and fled to England where he went by the name of Mr. Smith.
• After Louis Philippe fled, a new government was formed, known as the 'Second Republic'. The two major goals were universal suffrage and unemployment relief. Universal male suffrage was granted on March 2nd, but women were still denied the right to vote.
• During the 'Second Republic', help for the unemployed was attempted through the creation of National Workshops, which guaranteed French citizens the right to work.
• By May 1848, the National Workshops were employing a hundred thousand people. Laws regarding freedom of speech also relaxed.
• The poor were thrilled with the new changes in the 'Second Republic', however the wealthy people protested. They left Paris and took their businesses with them, leaving the city in a state of poverty.
• The National Workshops that brought employment to Paris was poorly thought out and there was little for the workers to actually do. The population of Paris continued to grow with more and more people who were seeking jobs, which was more than the National Workshops could handle.
• By May, the chairman of the 'Second Republic', was replaced with a body acting as Head of State with five co-presidents.
• The new government run by the Head of State and five co-presidents set out to establish a stronger economy and provide financial support for the National Workshops. Taxes were raised, falling on farmers and peasants to pay for the National Workshops in the cities.
• The farmers and peasants weren't thrilled about the raise in taxes to benefit those in the city and due to lack of funds, the National Workshops were closed on June 21.
• When the National Workshops were closed, the people relying on them were furious. Between the 23 and 25 of June, a new revolt started, called the 'June Days Uprising'. An army was called to break up the blockades which resulted in the people of France turning against each other.