Why revolution engulfed 19th-century Europe
Christopher Clark charts the causes and consequences of the wave of revolutions that swept across Europe in the 1840s

In 1848, a tidal wave of revolution swept across Europe – from Sicily to Paris, Berlin to Vienna. But what sparked this cascade of unrest, and how can we explain its apparent synchronicity? Speaking to Matt Elton, Christopher Clark charts the causes of the uprisings, and explores the consequences on the continent in the following decades.
Christopher Clark is the author of Revolutionary Spring: Fighting for a New World 1848-1849 (Penguin, 2023)
Authors

Matt Elton is BBC History Magazine’s Deputy Editor. He has worked at the magazine since 2012 and has more than a decade’s experience working across a range of history brands.

Subscribe to BBC History Magazine for £21.99 every 6 issues + receive a £10 M&S gift card (use online instore).
As a print subscriber you will also get FREE access to HistoryExtra.com worth £34.99