Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Shorter, Edward

Titel

Middle-Class Anxiety in the German Revolution of 1848

Ist Teil von

• Journal of social history, 1969-04, Vol.2 (3), p.189-215

Ort / Verlag

Berkeley, Calif: Oxford University Press

Erscheinungsjahr

1969

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Alma/SFX Local Collection

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The opinion is presented, based on extensive res, that the German revolution of 1848 was a result of soc & econ dislocation rather than an eagerness to unify Germany under a liberal parliamentary regime. It is seen as simplistic to think that econ crisis activates extreme pol'al views; rather, changes in the structure of the economy & the relations of SC's deserve attention. The purpose is to present the soc nature of the issues involving the MC's & how this is linked to the surfacing of radical discontent in 1848. Pop growth, immorality, & mechanization are seen as major issues. There is interest in the thesis that the revolution failed because the elites in Frankfurt were out of touch with pressing local concerns. This stance challenges the presumably nat'list interest of the revolution, disaffiliating the source of the unrest from the Lc 's, & speculates that the revolution failed because the politicians failed to harness the psychic spurts of energy of the Mc's. The impressionistic analysis of the responses to the Bavarian king Maximilian's 'royal essay contest' supply the basis for observing the act's of the Mc's (property owning & self-employed who are engaged in traditional occup's). Me grievances were vague & diffuse; their radicalism extended to a regression to authoritarian pol'al & econ instit's. They participated in the agitation via popular nonviolent demonstrations & petitioning campaigns. The agri'al & commercial crises of 1846-47 were perceived as threatening the ability of the Mc to maintain their status because the absorption of new workers into the labor market would decrease their own incomes. Infiltration of the Lc 's in the cities was the cause for hysteria over pop growth; esp the suspicion of illegitimacy of Lc children. Factories & machinery were seen as a threat to the survival of artisan competition. Complaints about soc disintegration as far as luxury & pleasure seeking were also prevalent. Moreover, there was a longing for gemeinschaft. Grievances concerning 'soc change' were not considered or exploited by the elite & for that reason the revolution of 1848 was determined to fail. M. Zeitlin.