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.
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.
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".
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.”A Hundred Years of Revolution, 1848 and After, Editor: George Woodcock, 1948, P.18 Imprisonment for debt was also abolished.https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Political_Social_and_Literary_Histor/1BTPjs_S89IC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=France+provisional+government+1848+debt+imprisonment&pg=PA415&printsec=frontcover The Political, Social, and Literary History of France: Brought Down to the Middle of the Year 1871 By Ebenezer Cobham Brewer, 1871, P.415 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.”People and Politics in France, 1848–1870 By Roger Price, 2004, P.291 Another decree limited the working hours of adult males, Bulletin of the Department of Labor Volume 4, 1899, P.842 while under another, as noted by one study, “the taxes on salt and other articles of consumption were remitted.”Democracy in Europe A History Volume 2 By Thomas Erskine May, 1880, P.297
Ministers Like its successor, the Executive Commission, the provisional government had a collective leadership, that exercised the power of head of state () 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. The ministers were:
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
Changes On 5 March 1848, Louis-Antoine Garnier-Pagès succeeded Michel Goudchaux as Finance Minister. On 20 March 1848, General Eugène Cavaignac succeeded Jacques Gerbais de Subervie was War Minister. On 5 April 1848, François Arago succeeded General Cavaignac as War Minister.
Key events February 24: Revolution in Paris Abdication of Louis Philippe I Formation of the Provisional Government25: Alphonse de Lamartine opposes the adoption of the red flag Mobile National Guard created Decrees concerning the right to work and the creation of workers' associations26: Creation of the National Workshops Abolition of the death penalty for political offenses28: 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 workshops29: Suppression of the Octroi and salt taxesMarch 2: Abolition of the system of bargaining for hiring Reduction of hours in the working day4: 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 governments5: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 France7: 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 officials9: Abolition of imprisonment for debt12: Abolition of corporal punishment in criminal matters13-18: Revolution in Berlin14: Elite units of the National Guard abolished16: Establishment by Louis-Antoine Garnier-Pagès of a 45 centimes tax, unpopular in rural areas17: Workers demonstration in Paris for postponement of the election of the Constituent Assembly. Elections postponed to April 23.21: Revolt in Bordeaux against envoys of the provisional government23: Creation of the Central Workers Committee of the department of Seine30: Failure of the expedition of the Belgian Legion in BelgiumApril 3: Revolt in Valence against envoys of the Provisional Government Failure of the Voraces Legion of Lyon to raise Savoy5: Revolt in Besançon against envoys of the provisional government16: Failure of the Paris demonstration for a further postponement of the election of the Constituent Assembly23: Moderate success in elections to the National Assembly27-28: Street fighting in Rouen between supporters of the defeated Democratic Republicans and those elected from the bourgeois list27: Abolition of slavery in French colonies29: Louis-Eugène Cavaignac appointed governor of AlgeriaMay 4: First meeting of the National Assembly Assembly unanimously proclamats the Republic6: Election by the Assembly of a new government: the Executive Commission
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