Revolutions of 1848

Revolutions of 1848

Part of the Age of Revolution
Barricade on the rue Soufflot,[1] an 1848 painting by Horace Vernet. The Panthéon is shown in the background.
Date	12 January 1848 – 4 October 1849 (1 year, 8 months, 3 weeks and 1 day)
Location	Western, Northern, and Central Europe
Also known as	Springtime of Nations, Springtime of the Peoples, Year of Revolution
Participants	People of Ireland, France, German Confederation, Hungary, Italian states, Denmark, Moldavia, Wallachia, Poland, and others
Outcome	See Events by country or region Political change in a few countries Significant social and cultural change

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The revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Springtime of the Peoples^[2] or the Springtime of Nations, were a series of revolutions throughout Europe over the course of more than one year, from 1848 to 1849. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in European history to date.^[3]

The revolutions were essentially democratic and liberal in nature, with the aim of removing the old monarchical structures and creating independent nation-states, as envisioned by romantic nationalism. The revolutions spread across Europe after an initial revolution began in Italy in January 1848.^[4][5] Over 50 countries were affected, but with no significant coordination or cooperation among their respective revolutionaries. Some of the major contributing factors were widespread dissatisfaction with political leadership, demands for more participation in government and democracy, demands for freedom of the press, other demands made by the working class for economic rights, the upsurge of nationalism,^[6] and the European potato failure, which triggered mass starvation, migration, and civil unrest.^[7]

The uprisings were led by temporary coalitions of reformers, the middle classes, the upper classes (the bourgeoisie) and workers;^[8] however, the coalitions did not hold together for long. Many of the revolutions were quickly suppressed, as tens of thousands of people were killed, and even more were forced into exile. Significant lasting reforms included the abolition of serfdom in Austria and Hungary, the end of absolute monarchy in Denmark, and the introduction of representative democracy in the Netherlands. The revolutions were most important in France, the Netherlands, Italy, the Austrian Empire, and the states of the German Confederation that would make up the German Empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The wave of uprisings ended in October 1849.