French Revolution and Consequences 1848

In February 1848, the middle classes and workers in France joined to overthrow the government of Louis Philippe. By June the two groups were at odds in their political, economic, and social thinking. Analyze what transpired to divide the groups and describe the consequences for French politics.

Thesis:

Revolution broke out in France in February 1848...While the two groups united to overthrow the corrupt regime of Louis Philippe, they were separated by their political, economic, and social goals; this separation had a big impact on French Politics

Their political, economic, and social goals

* Politically, the working class strived for a radical socialist republic in which there was an equal distribution of wealth for everyone. However, the middle class wanted a more conservative republic and, even though they supported universal male suffrage they didn't particularly want it, they were aimed at becoming more included in the political process

* Economically, the working class supported the creation of workshops as an unemployment aid for the poor while the middle class saw workshops as only a temporary means and as a threat to their business.

* Socially, the working class strived for complete social equality and while the middle class supported universal male suffrage, they tried their best to protect their class standards and privileges.

Consequences for French Politics

* Because of much resentment expressed against Paris radicals in the French provinces, the newly elected National Assembly came to be dominated by moderates and conservatives and this new legislature had little sympathy for expensive national workshops.

* As a result of the turmoil of the June Days during the 2nd French Republic, voters turned to Louis Napoleon Bonaparte as a source of stability and greatness

* In 1851, because the assembly refused to amend a constitution that allowed Napoleon to run for reelection, he personally seized and consolidated his power becoming Emperor Napoleon III and France had turned from republicanism to Caesarism.