In February 1848, revolution in Paris overthrew King Louis Philippe and established a republic. (a) What were the causes of the February Revolution in Franc...

(a) What were the causes of the February Revolution in France? [4 marks]

• Economic hardship: A severe economic depression and poor harvests in 1846-47 caused widespread unemployment, food shortages and rising prices. Workers and the urban poor were particularly affected.
• Political corruption: King Louis Philippe's government, led by Chief Minister Guizot, was widely seen as corrupt and serving only the interests of the wealthy bourgeoisie (the upper middle class).
• Restricted franchise: The right to vote was limited to men who paid a high level of tax, meaning that only about 250,000 men out of a population of 35 million could vote. Demands for electoral reform were rejected.
• Reform banquets: When the government banned a series of reform banquets (political gatherings disguised as dinners) in February 1848, it triggered street protests in Paris that rapidly escalated into armed revolution. Barricades went up across the city, and the National Guard refused to fire on the demonstrators.

(b) Why did the new French Republic face difficulties in 1848? [6 marks]

• Political divisions: The new republic was divided between moderate republicans who wanted political reform (constitutional government, wider franchise) and socialists who demanded fundamental economic change (redistribution of wealth, workers' rights, state-run workshops).
• National Workshops: The provisional government established National Workshops to provide employment for the unemployed, but they proved expensive and controversial. By June 1848, over 100,000 workers were enrolled, alarming property owners and taxpayers.
• June Days: The June Days uprising (23-26 June 1848) erupted when the government announced the closure of the workshops. Parisian workers fought bloody street battles against government forces under General Cavaignac. Over 1,500 people were killed, and thousands were deported. The uprising revealed deep class divisions that split the republican movement.
• Rural conservatism: The majority of France was rural and conservative. Peasants and provincial towns were alarmed by the radicalism of Parisian workers and supported more moderate or even reactionary candidates.
• Louis Napoleon's election: The election of Louis Napoleon Bonaparte as President in December 1848, winning 74% of the vote, brought to power a figure with authoritarian ambitions who exploited his famous name and the desire for order.
• Inexperienced leadership: The republic lacked experienced political leaders and stable institutions. It was caught between the demands of radical workers and the fears of the propertied classes.

(c) How far did the revolution of 1848 bring lasting change to France? [10 marks]

Arguments that the revolution brought lasting change:

• Universal male suffrage: The introduction of universal male suffrage was the most important lasting achievement. It survived even the end of the republic and Napoleon III's Second Empire. The number of voters increased from 250,000 to over 9 million.
• Abolition of slavery: The abolition of slavery in all French colonies in April 1848, championed by Victor Schoelcher, was permanent and irreversible.
• Political consciousness: The revolution demonstrated the political power of the Parisian working class and influenced the development of socialist and labour movements in France and across Europe.
• Republican tradition: The experience of the Second Republic, despite its brevity, strengthened the republican tradition in French politics that would eventually triumph with the Third Republic after 1870.

Arguments that lasting change was limited:

• End of the republic: Louis Napoleon staged a coup d'etat on 2 December 1851 and declared himself Emperor Napoleon III in December 1852, ending the republic after less than four years.
• Conservative reaction: The June Days and their violent suppression showed that the revolution had failed to win broad support beyond Paris. The propertied classes and the peasantry preferred order to radical change.
• Socialist ideas discredited: The failure of the National Workshops and the bloodshed of the June Days discredited socialist ideas in the short term and strengthened conservative forces.
• No structural economic change: The revolution did not fundamentally alter the social or economic structure of France. Land ownership, industrial relations and class structures remained largely unchanged.
• Restoration of authoritarian rule: The transition from republic to empire demonstrated that France had not achieved a stable democratic system. The pattern of revolution followed by reaction continued.

Conclusion: While the Second Republic was short-lived, the revolution of 1848 did produce some permanent changes, most importantly universal male suffrage and the abolition of slavery. These were significant achievements that outlasted the republic itself. However, the revolution failed to establish a lasting democratic government or transform French society. Its most important legacy was perhaps as a lesson: the memory of 1848 influenced later republican and socialist movements, including the Paris Commune of 1871 and the eventual establishment of the Third Republic.