Background
The pages from the table below contain information about society and government in France and England prior to 1848. This background information is essential in understanding the events that took place in 1848. The different pages are designed to be independent of each other, meaning that they do not have to be read in any particular order. It is recommended, however, that all pages concerning background are read before proceeding to the next part of the assignment, dealing with the year 1848 itself. The purpose of these pages is, in other words, to give the reader a general background knowledge and a feeling for the mood in each individual nation described. Background information will be dealing mainly with the period after 1830, the time of the July Revolution in France and the introduction of Lord Greys Whig government in England, and the years leading up to 1848, but in some cases a line will be drawn back to around 1815.
