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Threats of Revolution in Britain, 1789-1848
Book by Thomis, Malcolm I., Holt, Peter
147 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1977
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January 19, 2016
How close did Britain come to a revolution from 1789 - 1848?
Very close, according to Thomis and Holt, but only in 1832 and largely because of middle class pressure for parliamentary reform backed by the threat of working class violence.
Broadly speaking, the reasons were: limited popular support for revolutionary activity in the key crisis periods (1790s; 1811-12; 1816-20; 1838-48) as opposed to the powerful combination of middle and working class force which led to the Great Reform Act of 1832; the weaknesses of the various reform movements and Chartism, which never enjoyed mass popular support and usually had to compete with anti-French conservative sentiment or were boosted by economic downturns, only to see support fade away when the economy recovered; and government ruthlessness, which occasionally forced reformers underground and inadvertently created the very threat which the state feared (and had to crush).
Whether you agree with these conclusions or not, this is an excellent summary of a remarkable period in British social history. Thomis and Holt also offer some very useful insights on primary sources, usually most helpful when considering the motives of reformers, revolutionaries and governments, especially the latter's use of spies and agents provocateurs and how they shaped the response to the reform agenda (or tried to).
Very close, according to Thomis and Holt, but only in 1832 and largely because of middle class pressure for parliamentary reform backed by the threat of working class violence.
Broadly speaking, the reasons were: limited popular support for revolutionary activity in the key crisis periods (1790s; 1811-12; 1816-20; 1838-48) as opposed to the powerful combination of middle and working class force which led to the Great Reform Act of 1832; the weaknesses of the various reform movements and Chartism, which never enjoyed mass popular support and usually had to compete with anti-French conservative sentiment or were boosted by economic downturns, only to see support fade away when the economy recovered; and government ruthlessness, which occasionally forced reformers underground and inadvertently created the very threat which the state feared (and had to crush).
Whether you agree with these conclusions or not, this is an excellent summary of a remarkable period in British social history. Thomis and Holt also offer some very useful insights on primary sources, usually most helpful when considering the motives of reformers, revolutionaries and governments, especially the latter's use of spies and agents provocateurs and how they shaped the response to the reform agenda (or tried to).
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review