The Re-Establishment of Order

The Executive Commission

When the newly elected Constituent Assembly met on May 4th, the provisional government laid down its power, and the new assembly had to decide on a new form of government. They decided upon a collective presidency of five ministers, known as the Executive Commission. The conservatism of the Assembly became apparent in its choice of ministers: the most conservative members of the provisional government were retained, whereas the socialist elements were weeded out. This clear rejection of anything tasting of socialism caused new demonstrations, and even an attempt by the leaders of the extreme left to dissolve the Assembly on May 15th. The demonstrations were put down by the government and the leaders of the opposition were arrested, after which the situation calmed down.

The June Days

*The June Days 1848*

Disturbances flared up again, however, when the government on June 21st decided to dissolve the workshops. The workers took to the streets to protest against the government’s desicion, and on June 23rd barricades were erected in the eastern, working-class, section of Paris. The spontaneity of the workers revolt shows that the motivation behind it was mainly social. A large number of workers had, as a result of the economic crisis, come to depend upon public funds for their mere survival. When the institution providing those funds was taken away, desperation drove people to the streets.

The government, failing to see the real reasons behind the demonstrations, decided to resist the rebellious workers, and intense fighting took place in the streets of Paris on June 23rd, 24th and 25th. By June 26th the rebellion was all over and the last barricades were taken down, but the repression of the worker's revolt was to have several consequences.

First of all, it increased the conservative character of the regime. The complete dissolution of the workshops was announced and Cavaignac, who had led the repressive forces, was given dictatorial powers to suppress the radical clubs and newspapers. Second, the defeat of the worker’s revolt marked the effective end of the active phase of the revolution. Most oppositional leaders were either in jail or incapable of mounting much resistance against the regime.

Many writers also see the June Days as a ‘class battle, pure and simple’36 with two traditional concepts of the social order pitted against each other37, where the urban lower class lost to the old landed interests who supported the government. The defeat of the revolt also limited the revolution to the political sphere and helped set a pattern in French politics where radical political reforms were combined with social conservatism.38

Louis Napoleon Takes the Oath

The Constitution and Presidential Elections

During the summer and autumn of 1848 the Constituent Assembly continued working on the drafting of a new Constitution. The finished Constitution of the Second Republic was promulgated on November 21st, and while the political gains granted were considerable, it more or less disregarded important social right, like the right to work.

Presidential elections were held on December 10th 1848, and Louis Napoleon Bonaparte won by a clear margin. The date of December 20th, the day Loius Napoleon swore the presidential oath, thus marks the beginning of the phase of normal functioning for the Second Republic, since an executive in accordance with the Constitution was now duly installed.39