Why were the revolts sucessful in the 1848?

Question:

Why were the revolts sucessful in the 1848?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I have to agree. The 1848 Revolutions across Europe - France, Austria, Germany were successful and unsucessful for their different geo-political, socio-economic reasons.

You have to look at the industrial revolution, the failure of monarchy and elites to help the poor, the failure of ideas of freedom and liberlism of the French Revolution to become widespread, the economic recession in europe, the rise of nationalism and liberalism in Europe - all played a part.

For example, the 1848 Revolutions in Prussia and across Germany were more nationalistic in outlook - as intellectuals demanded the unification of the German states under Prussia. However, the Prussian King Frederick William IV was unwilling to accept a crown tainted by revolution. The brutal suppression of the revolution in Prussia under Prince Willliam (later to be Kaiser Wilhelm 1) earned him the nickname the grapeshot prince.

While in Austria, the revolutions demanded a constitution. But they were only successful because the Emperor Ferdinand, who was liberal minded, gave into the demands of the intellectuals and rebels. Otherwise, if Ferdinand had more of a backbone, he would have set the troops onto them.

In France, the intellectuals, nationalists and liberals had simply enough of the continuation of the Bourbon monarchy. While Louis Philippe had promised change upon his succession, but Louis Philippe was no better than his predecssors Louis XVIII or Charles X.

Revoution in Britain was avoided by the willingness of the monarchy and the nobility to compromise with the rising middle class and the granting of male suffrage. While in Russia, ideas of Revolution were brutally punished under Tsar Nicholas 1.