1848-A EUROPEAN REVOLUTION?

The notion of a Springtime of European Peoples, the concept of a universal republic and the awareness of a European dimension to revolutionary events all had an important impact on the ideas of 1848 and were reflected in songs, pamphlets, and political statements. However, the meanings of 1848--its historical and memories--changed over time. In most commemorations, the revolution has appeared as a national event, a perspective which changed only in 1998, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary. This book analyzes the dichotomy between the international dimension of the revolution’s ideas and the nationalization of its memories.