The Path to Revolution: Social and Economic Causes
Economic crisis and revolution causes 1848 stemmed from multiple factors, including industrialization, widespread poverty pauperism, and social unrest. The Silesian Weavers' Uprising of 1844 exemplified the desperate conditions of industrial workers, with 3,000 weavers protesting against low wages and poor working conditions.
The economic crisis of 1845 created a vicious cycle of unemployment and reduced consumption. Crop failures led to food shortages, while approximately 70% of workers' income went to basic food needs. These conditions, combined with political restrictions and demands for constitutional reform, created an explosive situation leading to the 1848 Revolution.
Vocabulary: Pauperism - widespread poverty among working classes during industrialization, characterized by insufficient wages and poor living conditions.
The March Demands of 1848 encompassed political, social, and economic reforms, including constitutional government, civil rights, and improved working conditions. Despite ideological differences among supporters, the revolution united middle-class liberals and rural populations in their push for fundamental change.