HIST 202: European Civilization, 1648-1945
Lecture 11 - Why no Revolution in 1848 in Britain. Revolutions occur when a critical mass of people come together to make specific demands upon their government. They invariably involve an increase in popular involvement in the political process.
One of the central questions concerning 1848, a year in which almost every major European nation faced a revolutionary upsurge, is why England did not have its own revolution despite the existence of social tensions. Two principal reasons account for this fact:
first, the success of reformist political measures, and the existence of a non-violent Chartist movement; second, the elaboration of a British self-identity founded upon a notion of respectability. This latter process took place in opposition to Britain's cultural Other,
Ireland, and its aftereffects can be seen in Anglo-Irish relations well into the twentieth century.
(from oyc.yale.edu)
| Lecture 11 - Why no Revolution in 1848 in Britain |
| Time | Lecture Chapters |
| [00:00:00] | 1. The Nature of Revolution: Politicization of the Common Man |
| [00:09:53] | 2. A Different Kind of Revolution in Germany and Italy: Unification after the Failure of 1848 |
| [00:20:37] | 3. The Absence of an 1848 Revolution in Britain: Reform and Chartism |
| [00:28:20] | 4. The Unwanted Other: The Irish as a Potential Source of Insurgency |
| References |
| Lecture 11 - Why no Revolution in 1848 in Britain Instructor: Professor John Merriman. Transcript [html]. Audio [mp3]. Download Video [mov]. |
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