GENERAL REASONS FOR THE FAILURE OF THE 1848 REVOLUTIONS IN EUROPE / AUSTRIAN EMPIRE:

GENERAL REASONS FOR THE FAILURE OF THE 1848 REVOLUTIONS IN EUROPE / AUSTRIAN EMPIRE:

1. Military weakness vis-a-vis- strength of anti revolutionary forces

The failure of the 1848 revolutions was due to military weakness. The revolutionaries were poorly armed, hurriedly trained and disorganized yet without support from their domestic army (except France). On the other hand, the anti - revolutionary forces were properly armed, well trained, disciplined and loyal to their kings. They were commanded by skillful and experienced commanders like General Windischgratz who quelled the revolution in Vienna and Prague, Haynau and Jellcic who crushed the Hungarian Revolt and Radetsky who defeated the Italians at the battle of Custozza.

2. Economic problems vis-a- vis strength of the Austrian empire

The success of the 1848 revolutions was hindered by economic problems such as inflation, unemployment, poverty and famine. These explain why the revolutionaries failed to mobilize, finance and arm a big army, which could have earned them success against Austrian forces. On the contrary, the Austrian empire had sufficient resources, which was due to taxes collected from the different races within the empire. The Austrian empire was the biggest in Europe with a high population and hence a big army. The army was motivated by resources exploited from the very Italians, Germans, Austrians and Hungarians who were revolting. This tilted the military balance of power against the 1848 revolutionaries, hence their failure.

3. Metternich system

Metternich system was a stumbling block that led to the failure of the 1848 revolutions in. Europe.

Metternich had used a complex policy like diplomacy, spy net work, divide and rule and force to frustrate any united opposition to his dominance of European politics. This explains why the 1848 revolutionaries in Austria, Hungary, Italian and German states failed to stage a properly co ordinate and united resistance, which made them to fail. It should be noted that although Metternich fled to exile, his system was successfully used by his successor, prince Schwarzenburg against the revolutions in Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Milan and Berlin.

4. Disunity

a) Racial Difference

The 1848 revolutions also failed due to divisions within the revolutionaries. In Hungary, the revolution failed because of racial difference between the Croats and Slovenes against the dominant Magyars.

This is why the Croats led by Jellacic allied with the Austrian king and suppressed the revolution in Hungary. In Italian and German states, when the workers and peasants started advocating for communism, it threatened the property of the middle class and made them to support their kings to suppress the revolutions. Thus, divisionism provided a line of weakness for the triumph of anti revolutionary forces and failure of the 1848 revolutions.

(b) Ideological difference and lack of common strategy

Lack of a common strategy due to ideological difference was also responsible for the failure of the 1848 revolutions. The Italians were divided between supporters of a republican government. Federal government and a unitary system of government. The republicans, led by Mazzini disregarded foreign assistance and the role of kings which was rejected by federalists. In Germany, the North German states led by Bismarck wanted a "little Germany" led by Prussia, which was rejected by the South German states who wanted a "big united Germany" led by Austria. Other Germans opposed them and wanted a republican government. All these explain why the revolutionaries failed to stage a coordinated and limited movement that could have succeeded against Austria.

c) Religious difference

Religion was a social factor that divided the revolutionaries and made them to fail. In the German states, religious consideration made the northern Protestants to support Prussia and the Southern Catholics to support Austria (being a fellow Catholic state). In Italy, Charles Albert hesitated to attack Austria because he was a Catholic and the Pope defected for the same reason. Religious consideration also explains why Napoleon III and Tsar Nicholas II intervened against Italian and Hungarian revolutions respectively.

5. Lack of capable and reliable leadership

The 1848 revolutions also failed due to incapable and unreliable leaders. The revolutionaries had hopes in leaders who were driven by self interest and ended up betraying the revolutionary cause. In Italy, Charles Albert was a coward, who was only interested in expanding his kingdom and that was why he delayed to attack Austria. The pope betrayed the Italians when he defected, sought for support from Catholic states and was restored to Rome by Napoleon III. Kossuth became a dictator after establishing the Hungarian republic and denied the Slovenes and Croatians their independence (which he had promised before the revolution). Fredrick William IV of Prussia was also a coward and too fearful of Austria, which partly made him to refuse to lead the revolution. The role of these incompetent and unreliable leaders favoured the success of anti - revolutionary forces and made the failure of the revolutions inevitable.

6. Role of intellectuals

The poor and theoretical approach of the intellectuals also contributed to the failure of the 1848 revolutions in Europe. Intellectuals who led the revolutions over concentrated on theoretical issues like debates, conferences and seminars, which became useless against the mighty anti – revolutionary forces. They neglected the role of the army, kings, foreign assistance and distanced themselves from die peasants and rural areas. These left the 1848 revolutions confirmed to cities and few towns, which were easily suppressed by kings and foreign powers.

7. Poor mobilization

The 1848 revolutions failed due to poor mobilization. The revolutions were urban based in a few large towns and cities. The rural dwellers and peasants were not politicized and made little contributions to the revolution. For example, out of 586 members of the Frankfurt assembly, only one person was a peasant and the rest were other professionals. This means that there was no mass support, which led to the failure of the revolutions.

8. The Failure of the Austrian revolution

The failure of the 1848 revolutions in Austria also contributed to the failure of the revolutions in other parts of Europe. On 31^st Oct 1848, the Austrian forces recaptured Vienna, which brought the revolution to an end. This gave Fredrick William IV of Prussia confidence to use force against the Frankfurt assembly and the revolution in Prussia. It also reduced pressure on Austrian authorities and made it possible to release troops to suppress the revolutions in Hungary, Prussia and Piedmont.

9. Foreign intervention/ monarchical solidarity

Lastly, the 1848 revolutions failed due to foreign intervention. The Italians had succeeded in setting the Roman republic but were demolished by French troops who restored the pope in Rome. Similarly, the Hungarians were suppressed by the intervention of Croatians and 200 Russian troops. The Prussian and Italian revolutions were all brought down by the intervention of Austrian troops. One can say that the intervention of foreign powers against the 1848 revolutions in Europe was a disaster that made the failure of the 1848 revolutions inevitable