French Provisional Government of 1848

Interim government of the French Second Republic in 1848 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Provisional government was the first government of the French Second Republic, formed on 24 February 1848 following the abolition of the July Monarchy by the February Revolution. The provisional government was succeeded on 9 May 1848 by the Executive Commission.

Dateformed24 February 1848
Datedissolved9 May 1848
Head of state
Louis Philippe II (claimant)
Jacques-Charles Dupont de l'Eure
Head of government
Jacques-Charles Dupont de l'Eure
Quick facts Provisional government of 1848, Date formed ...
Provisional government of 1848
France
Cabinet of France
The members of the Provisional Government, by Achille Devéria
Date formed24 February 1848
Date dissolved9 May 1848
People and organisations
Head of state
Louis Philippe II (claimant)
Jacques-Charles Dupont de l'Eure
Head of government
Jacques-Charles Dupont de l'Eure
History
PredecessorCabinet of François-Pierre Guizot
SuccessorExecutive Commission of 1848
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Formation

The Provisional Government was formed after three days of street fighting in Paris that ended in the abdication of King Louis Philippe I at noon on February 24. The leaders of the government were selected by acclamation in two different meetings later that day, one at the Chamber of Deputies and the other at the Hôtel de Ville. The first set of seven names, chosen at the Chamber of Deputies, came from the list of deputies made by the moderate republican paper Le National. The second set of names, chosen at the Hôtel de Ville, came from a list made by the more radical republican paper La Réforme. In addition to the first set of deputies it included three journalists and a representative of the workers. Later that evening the combined list was acclaimed at the Hôtel de Ville.[1]

The members of the new Provisional Government collectively acted as head of state. They included the former deputies Jacques-Charles Dupont de l'Eure, Alphonse de Lamartine, Adolphe Crémieux, François Arago, Alexandre Auguste Ledru-Rollin, Louis-Antoine Garnier-Pagès and Pierre Marie de Saint-Georges. The three journalists were Armand Marrast, Louis Blanc (a socialist) and Ferdinand Flocon. The representative of the workers was Alexandre Martin, known as "Albert".[1]

Policies

Various reforms were carried out during the Provisional Government's time in office. The old trade guilds were replaced (for purposes of conciliation) by organisations of employers and workers, while the undercutting of wages by various institutions like prisons was forbidden. In addition, as noted by one study, “the community accepted responsibility for industrial accidents, the Tuileries being set aside as a hospital for this purpose.”[2] Imprisonment for debt was also abolished.[3] A decree of March 1848 abolished “marchandage;” a subcontracting process that (as noted by one study) “encouraged competitive bidding between small entrepreneurs and forced down wages.”[4] Another decree limited the working hours of adult males, [5] while under another, as noted by one study, “the taxes on salt and other articles of consumption were remitted.”[6]

Ministers

Like its successor, the Executive Commission, the provisional government had a collective leadership, that exercised the power of head of state (French: Chief d'état) for all its duration.

The positions of power in the Provisional Government were mainly given to moderate republicans, although Étienne Arago was made Minister of Posts and Marc Caussidière became Prefect of Police. Alexandre Martin ("Albert"), Louis Blanc and Ferdinand Flocon did not get ministerial portfolios, and so had little power.[7] The ministers were:

More information Portfolio, Holder ...
Portfolio Holder Party
President of the Council of Ministers Jacques Charles Dupont Moderate Republican
Minister of Foreign Affairs Alphonse de Lamartine Moderate Republican
Minister of the Interior Alexandre Ledru-Rollin Radical Republican
Minister of Justice Adolphe Crémieux Moderate Republican
Minister of Finance Michel Goudchaux Moderate Republican
Minister of Public Works Pierre Marie de Saint-Georges Moderate Republican
Minister of Trade and Agriculture Eugène Bethmont Moderate Republican
Minister of Education Hippolyte Carnot Moderate Republican
Minister of War Jacques Gerbais de Subervie Military
Minister of the Navy and Colonies François Arago Moderate Republican
Ministers of State Louis-Antoine Garnier-Pagès Moderate Republican
Armand Marrast Radical Republican
Ferdinand Flocon Radical Republican
Louis Blanc Socialist Republican
Alexandre Martin Socialist Republican
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Changes

Key events

February 24:
25:
26:
28:
  • Demonstration of public works and buildings workers in the place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, Paris, to demand a Ministry of Labor and the 10-hour day
  • Creation of the Government Commission for workers headed by Louis Blanc, which implements the national workshops
29:
March 2:
  • Abolition of the system of bargaining for hiring
  • Reduction of hours in the working day
4:
  • Creation of the commission to implement abolition of slavery in the French colonies
  • Decision not to intervene on behalf of other European peoples revolting against their governments
5:
  • Universal suffrage decreed for males
  • Convocation of a constituent assembly decided, with elections set for 9 April
  • Forced used of banknotes to prevent disappearance of the gold holdings of the Bank of France
7:
  • Reopening of the Paris Stock Exchange (closed from 22 February)
8:
  • National Guard opened to all citizens
  • Creation of a school of administration to train officials
9:
  • Abolition of imprisonment for debt
12:
  • Abolition of corporal punishment in criminal matters
13-18:
  • Revolution in Berlin
14:
  • Elite units of the National Guard abolished[12]
16:
17:
  • Workers demonstration in Paris for postponement of the election of the Constituent Assembly. Elections postponed to April 23.[15]
21:
  • Revolt in Bordeaux against envoys of the provisional government
23:
  • Creation of the Central Workers Committee of the department of Seine
30:
  • Failure of the expedition of the Belgian Legion in Belgium
April 3:
  • Revolt in Valence against envoys of the Provisional Government
  • Failure of the Voraces Legion of Lyon to raise Savoy
5:
  • Revolt in Besançon against envoys of the provisional government
16:
  • Failure of the Paris demonstration for a further postponement of the election of the Constituent Assembly
23:
  • Moderate success in elections to the National Assembly
27-28:
  • Street fighting in Rouen between supporters of the defeated Democratic Republicans and those elected from the bourgeois list
27:
  • Abolition of slavery in French colonies
29:
May 4:
  • First meeting of the National Assembly[16]
  • Assembly unanimously proclamats the Republic[16]
6:

References

Sources

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