OCR Specification focus:
‘Guizot; social and economic developments and problems.’
The July Monarchy under Louis Philippe and his minister François Guizot was marked by political stability but growing social and economic tensions. These notes explore Guizot’s political role, his policies, and the wider economic and social developments that shaped France in the 1830s and 1840s.
François Guizot: Political Role and Philosophy
Rise to Power
François Guizot became the dominant political figure of the July Monarchy, particularly from 1840 to 1848.
As a conservative doctrinaire liberal, he upheld the July Monarchy as a constitutional monarchy with limited political participation.
DEFINITION
Doctrinaire liberal: A moderate political position that supported a constitutional monarchy with a limited electorate, rejecting both absolutism and radical democracy.
Guizot’s guiding principle was the protection of the bourgeois monarchy. He saw the monarchy as the political expression of the middle classes, whose property, education, and moderation qualified them to govern.
Political Views
Guizot’s policies consistently emphasised:
Defence of property rights
Restriction of the franchise to wealthy, propertied men
Hostility to universal suffrage and democratic reforms
Reliance on the Chamber of Deputies as the main legislative body
His motto, “Enrichissez-vous” (“Enrich yourselves”), summarised his belief that those wishing for political influence should first acquire property and wealth, thereby qualifying for voting rights.
The Political System under Guizot
Restricted Franchise
The electoral system was highly limited. Only taxpayers above a high threshold could vote, meaning that:
By the 1840s, fewer than 250,000 men out of a population of 32 million could participate.
This created resentment among the working classes and petit bourgeoisie, who felt excluded from politics.
Petit bourgeoisie: Lower middle class, including small shopkeepers, clerks, and artisans, who aspired to political recognition but lacked the property qualification.
Government by the Bourgeoisie
The system entrenched the dominance of the bourgeois elite, leading to accusations of corruption and self-interest. The July Monarchy became increasingly associated with stagnation, electoral manipulation, and narrow representation.
Economic Developments under Guizot
Industrial Growth
The 1830s and 1840s saw the beginnings of industrialisation in France, though at a slower pace than in Britain:
Expansion of railways: Encouraged by Guizot’s government to improve trade and communication.
A general map of the French railway network in 1850, showing the main lines radiating from Paris and linking major regions. It succinctly conveys the spatial integration associated with early industrial growth. Source
Growth of banking institutions: Supported investment and modernisation.
Development of textiles and metallurgy: Particularly in northern and eastern France.
Guizot’s policies generally favoured free trade principles, aligning with his belief that economic modernisation would naturally lead to social improvement.
Economic Problems
Despite growth, serious issues remained:
Uneven development: Rural France, where the majority lived, saw little benefit from industrialisation.
Urban poverty: Industrial towns like Lyon faced poor working conditions and low wages.
Agricultural crises: Poor harvests in the 1840s contributed to widespread hardship.
Social Developments and Problems
The Working Classes
The proletariat grew during this period as more people entered industrial employment. Their conditions included:
Long working hours
Low pay
Poor housing and health conditions
Lack of political representation
Proletariat: The class of industrial wage labourers who owned no property and depended on selling their labour to survive.
Growing discontent led to strikes and unrest, such as the silk workers’ revolts in Lyon (1831 and 1834), which highlighted tensions between workers and the bourgeois elite.
The Middle Classes
The bourgeoisie benefitted most:
Wealthy industrialists and bankers consolidated political power.
The professional middle class (lawyers, teachers, civil servants) supported Guizot’s regime but began to question its failure to broaden participation.
The Rural Majority
Most French citizens were peasants, still tied to agriculture:
They valued land ownership, secured after the Revolution.
Yet they faced periodic hardship due to harvest failures and economic downturns.
Peasant dissatisfaction often manifested in support for Bonapartism or other alternatives to the July Monarchy.
Guizot’s Policies and Social Tensions
Education Reforms
Guizot introduced a significant law on primary education in 1833:
Required every commune to establish a primary school.
Increased literacy rates among the population.
Reinforced middle-class values of discipline and respectability.
However, while it expanded access, it did little to address the exclusion of poorer children who still relied on family labour.
Repression of Opposition
Guizot’s government repressed republican, socialist, and Bonapartist movements:
Censorship of radical newspapers
Suppression of demonstrations
Arrests of opposition leaders
This repressive stance deepened the divide between the monarchy and the radical left, particularly in Paris.
The Crisis of the 1840s
By the mid-1840s:
Economic downturn (1846–47) and food shortages created hardship.
Corruption scandals damaged the monarchy’s reputation.
Growing demand for electoral reform brought liberals, republicans, and disaffected workers into common opposition.
Guizot’s refusal to extend the franchise became the focal point of criticism, with many regarding him as the symbol of the regime’s conservatism and inflexibility.
Linking Social and Economic Problems to Political Stability
The July Monarchy under Guizot appeared strong, yet beneath the surface lay deep fractures:
Political exclusion bred resentment among the middle and lower classes.
Economic modernisation benefited the bourgeois elite but widened inequality.
Social unrest grew with urbanisation and industrialisation.
Failure to adapt politically to these pressures made the monarchy vulnerable to collapse in 1848.
FAQ
Guizot believed that extending the franchise would destabilise the constitutional balance of the July Monarchy. He feared that enfranchising the working classes would invite radicalism and threaten property rights.
His stance was rooted in the idea that only those with property had a vested interest in maintaining order, so political power should remain in the hands of the bourgeoisie.
The 1833 education law required every commune to establish a primary school, but it also allowed for schools to be run by local municipalities or the Church.
This compromise meant the Catholic Church retained significant influence over teaching, particularly in rural areas, while the state expanded its role in shaping literacy and civic values.
Corruption became a symbol of the July Monarchy’s failings. Deputies were often accused of taking bribes or using government positions for personal gain.
Critics claimed the regime served only the interests of the wealthy elite, reinforcing demands for reform. These scandals eroded confidence in Guizot and gave ammunition to republicans and radicals.
The canuts (silk workers) in Lyon faced declining wages and harsh conditions. When they petitioned for a minimum wage, the government refused, citing free market principles.
Their uprisings in 1831 and 1834 reflected both economic desperation and frustration with a political system that ignored workers’ demands. Guizot’s refusal to intervene deepened resentment against his government.
Britain embraced rapid industrialisation and free trade earlier, with wider infrastructure investment and stronger banking networks.
France under Guizot adopted free trade cautiously. While railways and banking grew, industrial expansion was uneven and far slower than Britain’s.
Guizot’s France remained largely agrarian, which limited the broader impact of his policies and left large sections of society untouched by industrial progress.
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks):
What was François Guizot’s famous phrase that summarised his view on political participation under the July Monarchy?
Mark Scheme:
1 mark for correctly identifying the phrase: “Enrichissez-vous” / “Enrich yourselves.”
1 mark for explaining its meaning, e.g., that only those who acquired property and wealth could gain the right to vote.
Question 2 (6 marks):
Explain two problems faced by French society during the 1840s under Guizot’s government.
Mark Scheme:
Up to 3 marks for each problem, depending on detail and accuracy.
Award marks for the following valid points (any two):
Economic hardship: Poor harvests in 1846–47, food shortages, and downturn created widespread hardship (1 mark for identifying, up to 3 with explanation).
Urban poverty: Poor conditions for workers in industrial towns like Lyon, including long hours, low pay, and poor housing (1 mark for identifying, up to 3 with explanation).
Rural discontent: Peasants often faced economic difficulties despite land ownership, leading to dissatisfaction and support for alternatives like Bonapartism (1 mark for identifying, up to 3 with explanation).
Exclusion from politics: The majority of the population (workers and petit bourgeoisie) resented exclusion from the narrow franchise (1 mark for identifying, up to 3 with explanation).
Answers must show clear explanation of why each problem was significant, not just simple listing.
Maximum 6 marks in total.
