Why didn't Britain have a Revolution in 1848?
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Date: 2022-07-29
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Comments and reviews: 13
Gordon
Another major factor is the English culture. They had (and have) a deeply ingrained class system that makes poorer people look up to richer people, and assume that the higher classes are their betters (that's literally what they were called. They're just considerably more servile than the French or Germans. They also had (and have) an unquestioning loyalty to the monarchy. Finally, the English are sceptical of ideology in general. They'd never swing far left or far right, they'd never go for radical politics generally. They're small c conservatives who don't like big changes and don't trust those who push for them. Who else would vote against proportional representation?
The English did have a revolution once. They had Oliver Cromwell. But they didn't like it and went back to their kings. That's how reactionary they are.
On top of that, the British establishment were very, very skilled at knowing when they could crush their opposition, and when and exactly how much concessions needed to be made to ease the pressure. England still has a feudal system of land ownership as a result.
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Another major factor is the English culture. They had (and have) a deeply ingrained class system that makes poorer people look up to richer people, and assume that the higher classes are their betters (that's literally what they were called. They're just considerably more servile than the French or Germans. They also had (and have) an unquestioning loyalty to the monarchy. Finally, the English are sceptical of ideology in general. They'd never swing far left or far right, they'd never go for radical politics generally. They're small c conservatives who don't like big changes and don't trust those who push for them. Who else would vote against proportional representation?
The English did have a revolution once. They had Oliver Cromwell. But they didn't like it and went back to their kings. That's how reactionary they are.
On top of that, the British establishment were very, very skilled at knowing when they could crush their opposition, and when and exactly how much concessions needed to be made to ease the pressure. England still has a feudal system of land ownership as a result.
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Ludwig
Belgium too somewhat narrowly avoided revolution in 1848. It was an important success for the Belgian state which at that point had only existed for about 18 years. It proved the new state was stable and further cemented Belgium's status as an independent nation.
This may be interesting to do a video on. Or perhaps one called Why didn't Belgium become a Republic? . Interesting and funny stories to be told there. For example, at one point during the revolution of 1830, symbol of the revolution Louis de Potter, who was a republican, threatened to fellow revolutionaries that he would declare a republic at once, standing on the balcony before the masses in Brussel. He was stopped from doing so only under threat of being thrown down the balcony. Eventually Belgium became a monarchy because this was the only way to gain support from the anti-French monarchist powers and other conservative forces. However, the republican faction, as well as organist faction, would only truly stop being a threat to the new Belgian constitutional monarchy from 1848 on.
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Belgium too somewhat narrowly avoided revolution in 1848. It was an important success for the Belgian state which at that point had only existed for about 18 years. It proved the new state was stable and further cemented Belgium's status as an independent nation.
This may be interesting to do a video on. Or perhaps one called Why didn't Belgium become a Republic? . Interesting and funny stories to be told there. For example, at one point during the revolution of 1830, symbol of the revolution Louis de Potter, who was a republican, threatened to fellow revolutionaries that he would declare a republic at once, standing on the balcony before the masses in Brussel. He was stopped from doing so only under threat of being thrown down the balcony. Eventually Belgium became a monarchy because this was the only way to gain support from the anti-French monarchist powers and other conservative forces. However, the republican faction, as well as organist faction, would only truly stop being a threat to the new Belgian constitutional monarchy from 1848 on.
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CycleKildare
There was a rebellion. The Young Irelander Rebellion took place in Ireland in 1848. It was a small rebellion inspired by those in Europe, though it ultimately failed. 1848 also saw the unfurling of the Irish tricolour flag.
Along with immense and rapidly worsening extreme poverty directly inflicted and propogated by the Westminster government's policies and support of aristocratic landlords, government failure to adequately respond to the famine and developing famine conditions in the decade before, regressive government and landlord restrictions on farming and farm development which were specific to Ireland only, and a purposefully hobbled economy focused on exporting beef to Britian, all aided in solidifying Irish nationalism. This would eventually lead to the disintegration of the Union between Britain and Ireland less than a century later. The fact there was a rebellion at all during the dire conditions of the famine show the deep unhappiness and resentment of citizens toward the government.
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There was a rebellion. The Young Irelander Rebellion took place in Ireland in 1848. It was a small rebellion inspired by those in Europe, though it ultimately failed. 1848 also saw the unfurling of the Irish tricolour flag.
Along with immense and rapidly worsening extreme poverty directly inflicted and propogated by the Westminster government's policies and support of aristocratic landlords, government failure to adequately respond to the famine and developing famine conditions in the decade before, regressive government and landlord restrictions on farming and farm development which were specific to Ireland only, and a purposefully hobbled economy focused on exporting beef to Britian, all aided in solidifying Irish nationalism. This would eventually lead to the disintegration of the Union between Britain and Ireland less than a century later. The fact there was a rebellion at all during the dire conditions of the famine show the deep unhappiness and resentment of citizens toward the government.
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Edward
I really appreciate the effort you ve put into these videos, they are informative.
But you do speak rather fast! And I had to stop and rewind when that document came up halfway through so I could read it!
The figures you gave for the number of men who could vote after 1832 were presumably for the UK as a whole, for England and Wales I think it was 20%?
And I suppose it is too much to ask nowadays that a British person doing a video on British history might do it in British English, rather than, like, the American variety! I m quite sure that none of the chartists complained about things sucking. I suppose the police constables might have been told here is a truncheon, go and hit someone with it, but probably not here is a truncheon, go hit someone with it.
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I really appreciate the effort you ve put into these videos, they are informative.
But you do speak rather fast! And I had to stop and rewind when that document came up halfway through so I could read it!
The figures you gave for the number of men who could vote after 1832 were presumably for the UK as a whole, for England and Wales I think it was 20%?
And I suppose it is too much to ask nowadays that a British person doing a video on British history might do it in British English, rather than, like, the American variety! I m quite sure that none of the chartists complained about things sucking. I suppose the police constables might have been told here is a truncheon, go and hit someone with it, but probably not here is a truncheon, go hit someone with it.
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Andrew
The palace is not safe when the cottage is not happy - Benjamin Disraeli
Britain was spared of revolutions throughout the 19th and 20th centuries because the governments adopted the idea that evolution was more preferable to revolution. Gradually expanding voting rights and bettering working conditions whenever things seemed tense enough, not too much at any one time however. Essentially we saw what happened in France and decided we d rather not have that. Took a lot of change over time, but it was bloodless and eventually got there.
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The palace is not safe when the cottage is not happy - Benjamin Disraeli
Britain was spared of revolutions throughout the 19th and 20th centuries because the governments adopted the idea that evolution was more preferable to revolution. Gradually expanding voting rights and bettering working conditions whenever things seemed tense enough, not too much at any one time however. Essentially we saw what happened in France and decided we d rather not have that. Took a lot of change over time, but it was bloodless and eventually got there.
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Sathish
I think another important factor is that countries in Western Europe like the UK and Spain had a safety valve - the colonies. Disgruntled citizens just moved abroad. In the late 1800s other Western European countries like Germany and nations in Scandinavia found this valve too. I wonder if the French Revolution would have even happened if it didn t lose its colonies in the Seven Years War
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I think another important factor is that countries in Western Europe like the UK and Spain had a safety valve - the colonies. Disgruntled citizens just moved abroad. In the late 1800s other Western European countries like Germany and nations in Scandinavia found this valve too. I wonder if the French Revolution would have even happened if it didn t lose its colonies in the Seven Years War
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Dave
The british didn't have a revolution because they are gullible. They are simply lunch meat for the elites. Look at 2020. Everyone cowering behind their sofas while the elites are having booze filled parties in Downing Street, laughing at the rabble. There was no revolution, because the people of this country do place no value on what matters most: liberty and individual freedoms
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The british didn't have a revolution because they are gullible. They are simply lunch meat for the elites. Look at 2020. Everyone cowering behind their sofas while the elites are having booze filled parties in Downing Street, laughing at the rabble. There was no revolution, because the people of this country do place no value on what matters most: liberty and individual freedoms
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Deez
They sent most of the right wing British people to America and most of the left wing British people to Australia. America was full of puritans, people that supported slavery and impoverished nimrod debtors that were too proud to have a hand out. Left wing Americans are the descendants of small farmers that won a homestead, people with skilled jobs and unionized laborers
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They sent most of the right wing British people to America and most of the left wing British people to Australia. America was full of puritans, people that supported slavery and impoverished nimrod debtors that were too proud to have a hand out. Left wing Americans are the descendants of small farmers that won a homestead, people with skilled jobs and unionized laborers
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rising
Can you please stop calling ireland britain your videos. please for the love of god if HISTORY MATTERS to you stop calling ireland britain in every video when either is involved in that video.
Ireland is not britain it never was. even as part of the uk it was the united kingdom of britain AND ireland. both seperate in a union. ireland was never britain. EVER.
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Can you please stop calling ireland britain your videos. please for the love of god if HISTORY MATTERS to you stop calling ireland britain in every video when either is involved in that video.
Ireland is not britain it never was. even as part of the uk it was the united kingdom of britain AND ireland. both seperate in a union. ireland was never britain. EVER.
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Snag
I think the difference is that we weren't a monarchist dictatorship like our neighbours were and we had already come up with an improved solution to keeping the monarch but also being a democracy. All that needed doing was expanding the vote to beyond people based on the size of their land ownership.
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I think the difference is that we weren't a monarchist dictatorship like our neighbours were and we had already come up with an improved solution to keeping the monarch but also being a democracy. All that needed doing was expanding the vote to beyond people based on the size of their land ownership.
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Alabama
If it weren't for the 1848 revolutions, America probably wouldn't have quite as many people descended from northern Europe immigrants than it does. Apparently, my father's ancestors chose the wrong side in what's now Germany and decided around 1849-1850 to get while the getting was good.
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If it weren't for the 1848 revolutions, America probably wouldn't have quite as many people descended from northern Europe immigrants than it does. Apparently, my father's ancestors chose the wrong side in what's now Germany and decided around 1849-1850 to get while the getting was good.
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Jean
The Netherlands could only avoid a revolution because king William II accepted a new constitution from prime minister Thorbecke after fearing a revolution happening in the Netherlands. William II joked that he changed his view drom conservative to liberal overnight.
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The Netherlands could only avoid a revolution because king William II accepted a new constitution from prime minister Thorbecke after fearing a revolution happening in the Netherlands. William II joked that he changed his view drom conservative to liberal overnight.
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BountyFlamor
The historian Christopher Clark says the British government subsidised foodstuffs at the expense of colonial landlords to mellow the revolutionary fervour of the masses. A luxury other European countries did not have since they lacked the colonies.
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The historian Christopher Clark says the British government subsidised foodstuffs at the expense of colonial landlords to mellow the revolutionary fervour of the masses. A luxury other European countries did not have since they lacked the colonies.
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