1848: The Revolution of the Intellectuals: Raleigh Lectures on History, 1944

by Lewis B. Namier, James Joll (Introduction)

In this famous essay, concentrating on the revolutions in central and eastern Europe, and the relations of Germans, Poles and Slavs, Namier explains how 1848 inaugurated a new age, not of liberalism as many revolutionaries hoped, but of a nationalism that was to destroy liberal constitutionalism. As Professor Joll argues in his introduction, the essay also reveals much about the prejudices and passion underlying the historical writing of one of Britain's most prominent historians. The modern reader may find in the range and cogency of this book not only many shafts of light on the year 1848 itself, but also fresh insights into historical forces still at work in our own time.

Genres: History

138 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Sir Lewis Bernstein Namier was a British historian of Polish-Jewish background. Born Ludwik Bernstein Niemirowski in Wola Okrzejska in the Russian-controlled Congress Poland, Namier emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1907, studied at Balliol College, Oxford, from 1908, and became a British subject in 1913, whereupon he anglicised his name.

During the First World War, he fought as a private with the 20th Royal Fusiliers in 1914–15 but was discharged owing to poor eyesight. Following the defeat of Germany in World War One, Namier joined the British delegation at the Versailles Peace Conference of 1919. After leaving government service, Namier taught at Balliol (1920–21) before going into business for himself. Later Namier, who was a long-time Zionist, worked as political secretary for the Jewish Agency in Palestine for two years before taking taking a position as professor at the University of Manchester, where he taught from 1931 until his retirement in 1953.

Reviews

[Taylor G · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75/3

I would have probably enjoyed this book more if the addition I had read did not have anywhere from a quarter to 3/4 of every third page filled with footnotes.

Great for academia, but don't let the size fool you. This is a dense onslaught through 1800-1915 politics, borders, and government policy.

[Bernard English · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book reminded me that East Europe has more than once tried to ensnare Western Europe into a great war with Russia for it's own benefit. The culprit in 1848 was Poland. Namier actually spends something like a third of the book going into the fascinating details of Poles trying to resuscitate partitioned Poland into an independent state. This part of the book helps put Serbia's role in starting WWI and Ukraine's attempt at baiting NATO into fighting Russia (I know some say it's the other way around). It's a short book and the pages on Poland are really worth reading.