# What was with revolutionary movements and the year 1848? Why all then? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 26, 2010, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-with-revolutionary-movements-and-the-year-1848-why-all-then/540819 "2010-05-26T14:22:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![No\_Wikipedia\_Cites](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@No\_Wikipedia\_Cites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Wikipedia_Cites)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-with-revolutionary-movements-and-the-year-1848-why-all-then/540819/1 "2010-05-26T14:22:46Z")
Word on the street is that from the Chartists to the French to the Germans to the Italians and others all seemed to have revolutionary or movement activities in and around 1848. What was so special about that year? Why did every thing radical seem to strike in the same relatively short historical period? (1840’s). ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-with-revolutionary-movements-and-the-year-1848-why-all-then/540819/2 "2010-05-26T14:34:54Z")
The short answer is that each of the revolutions led to the next. The French revolution in February overthrew Louis-Phillippe, and then, hearing about that, liberal and nationalist groups in the German states and Austria-Hungary started demonstrating for more freedoms and constitutional reform. And things just steamrolled. ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-with-revolutionary-movements-and-the-year-1848-why-all-then/540819/3 "2010-05-26T14:42:28Z")
I don’t have an answer - but it looks like Canada was a trend setter then. We had a rebellion here in the late 1830s. I don’t know how to do a URL on my handheld, but google Upper Canada Rebellion or Lower Canada Rebellion for more details. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-with-revolutionary-movements-and-the-year-1848-why-all-then/540819/4 "2010-05-26T14:55:38Z")
The 1848 revolutions were just the big explosion of forces that had been building in Europe since 1815. It’s not like the intervening years were all that calm: there were revolutions in the 1820s (Greek Independence), the 1830s (Belgian Independence) and then the watershed year of 1848. Metternich and his ilk couldn’t hold back the twin forces of liberalism and nationalism forever. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-with-revolutionary-movements-and-the-year-1848-why-all-then/540819/5 "2010-05-26T15:19:02Z")
> [@D18](#): > > I don’t have an answer - but it looks like Canada was a trend setter then. We had a rebellion here in the late 1830s. I don’t know how to do a URL on my handheld, but google Upper Canada Rebellion or Lower Canada Rebellion for more details. And it was in 1848 that Canada was granted responsible government largely as a result of the Rebellions. Ever since I first heard about it I’ve found it interesting that the greatest victory by 19th century Canadian liberals happened the exact same year as the liberal revolutions in Europe and I’ve wondered if there was a link. But as far as actual mass movements, the Tories were the ones who took up to the streets and burned the Montreal Parliament in response to responsible government and the Rebellions Losses Bill. So Canada actually experienced a conservative reaction rather than a liberal revolution. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-with-revolutionary-movements-and-the-year-1848-why-all-then/540819/6 "2010-05-26T15:24:01Z")
“When Paris sneezes, Europe catches cold.” Maybe not 100% accurate but still a nice quote.