Title: The German Revolution of 1848/49
Headings: The German Revolution of 1848/49
The German Revolution of 1848/49
Content: The German Revolution of 1848/49
Next: The Petition Movement and Up: Exposure, Networks, and Mobilization: Town Previous: Data and the Analytical
The German Revolution of 1848/49
In the middle of the 19th century, Germany (and many other parts of Europe) had reached a stage where the shears between the social, cultural, and economical situation on the one hand and the political reality on the other were widely open. Whether the beginning industrial revolution had brought about or only accelerated the liberal movement in Germany is an interesting and controversial historical question that must be left aside here. Regardless of the answer, in the years proceeding the revolution Germany was in a situation where the suppression of democratic principles such as freedom of the press, democratic representation in the legislature, and the independence of the judicature could only hardly be maintained by the ruling alliance of nobles and military. A revolt in Paris between the 22nd and 24th of February 1848 not only led to the overturn of King Louis Phillip and his regime but soon turned out to be the final trigger leading the situation in Germany to explode. Only a few days later the first uprising began as a spontaneously organized peasant revolts in the South-West (Baden) of Germany and in Bavaria. Wave-like, the revolution spread over the metropolitan areas in the Rhine-land to the political and military head of Prussia in Berlin.