Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Which contributed more to the fall of the Orleanist monarch in 1848: an insensitive home policy or a weak foreign policy?

Louis Philippe I, leader of the Orleanist party, was the King of France from 1830 to 1848. He was overthrown during the French Revolution of 1848, largely in reaction to his insensitive home policy. When Charles X, a conservative, was overthrown in 1830, Louis Philippe became a popular choice for king, as he was seen as a representative of the petite bourgeoisie. However, it quickly became apparent that he was conservative and favored the wealthy bourgeoisie. As a result, the income gap between the wealthy and the rest of the population increased, and there were workers' strikes and an attempt on his life in 1835 in reaction to his policies. Most of the electorate was disenfranchised during his reign, and only landowners, representing about 1% of the population, were allowed to vote. Discontent grew among the petite bourgeoisie and working class, particularly as the government was accused of corruption. In foreign policy, Louis Philippe supported the development of French colonies such as Algeria and formed an alliance with Britain. His overthrow in 1848 was largely in reaction to his domestic policies. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thomas Jefferson's election in 1800 is sometimes called the Revolution of 1800. Why could it be described in this way?

Thomas Jefferson’s election in 1800 can be called the “Revolution of 1800” because it was the first time in America’s short history that pow...