How Did Louis Philippe Influence The French Revolution

Under the reign King Louis-Philippe, the country revolted and denounced his leadership in a bloody revolution, despite the fact that his reign was neither corrupt nor destructive. Louis-Philippe, the last king of France, was a liberal minded man who replaced bourbon King Charles X after the revolutions of 1789. Louis-Philippe wanted to be seen as a king for the people and destroyed all connections to the past Bourbon Empire. He implemented a tricolor flag, dismissing the Bourbon all-white flag. The termination of the flag showed a rebirth of the country from the tyranny of the Bourbons, to a more Liberal-minded country. Louis-Phillipe's determination to keep a politically neutral country under his control benefitted his country's economy, but was a main benefactor in his downfall in 1848. Louis-Philippe’s liberal ruling style lead to his abdication and eventually the second French Republic. (liberal ideas, middle class tension, economic growth and strain, final demonstration of Revolution)
Louis-Philippe built his government under a firm liberal establishment, (expand and explain this) but his governing ideas failed to please the majority of the french population.
The upper class enjoyed the perks of the new liberal government, but the parisian middle class workers and republican people, who fought to dispel the Bourbon rule of 1789, felt
they had been snubbed of their chance for equality. The Republicans grew unruly and uprised in 1832 and 1834. Although both uprisings were put down quite easily, they did provide inspiration for the creation of Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.
While Louis-Philippe wasn't known for his popularity, the economic growth under his reign was the strongest in french history. In 1830, the roads were rebuilt, and in 1842 a railway project added over 900 miles of track. Companies and factories were pushed to expand, especially those providing coal, iron, steel, and engineering. Landowners and factory proprietors benefitted off of the economic advances, but middle class citizens became unruly and angered by the supposedly “ liberal” government. The middle class was mad because their professions weren't used sufficiently, causing poverty and resentment for the upperclass. This resentment, fueled by Louis-Philippe’s upperclass-benefiting ruling style, foreshadowed his abdication.
The middle class Republicans, tired of King Philippe’s crooked social system, formed a revolutionary society. There were two groups of revolutionaries, the Republican Moderates, and the Republican Radicals. The Moderates planned to attack the government through the governing bodies, and fight to restore justice to the government. The Radicals wanted a full blown revolution, and a newly built government, composed of and ruled by the people. These groups met in secret and planned protests and marches. The Republicans created a paper bashing the governing bodies and their unfair laws and ruling habits.
In 1835, the government became increasingly more repressive towards the Republicans after they attempted to assassinate the king. They banned the freedom of press, preventing the republican parties from writing anti-government propaganda. These repressive laws opposed the liberal image Louis-Philippe had tried to create. The way Louis-Philippe opposed his own established governing laws gives evidence to why the protesters would be angered.
On February 22 1848, the protesters, pushing for political reform, banned together and held a march. 700 students crossed the river Seine and were met by the National Guard, sent by the king to keep the peace. The higher paid Municipal Guards were also sent as a backup wall of defense. They caused turmoil among the protesters for backing the king, and among the National Guard because of their elevated status and higher salary. The Municipal guard attacked the crowds of people, giving further examples to how the government was not liberal, but maybe even a totalitarian governing body.
Throughout the day, the revolters and the Municipals fought, with the National guard acting as unofficial mediators throughout the city. Although the Municipalities were well armed, sheer masses overcame metal, and the Municipals soon found themselves retreating in shame. Louis-Philippe, knowing his throne was on the line, sacrificed his head minister, Guizot to the protesters. Guizot played a key role in the oppression of the Republican middle class, and the protesters were satisfied with his governing demise.
The Protesters gathered in throngs, marching to Guizot’s estate singing songs of victory as they awaited Guizot's’ dissolution. The 14th regiment, the soldiers protecting the Foreign Ministry where Guizot lodged, heard the approaching crowds, and formed a barricade of soldiers as a precaution. In the jostling caused by the formation, an accidental shot was fired from a soldier's’ rifle, causing a reflexive echo of 50 or more rifle shots, as the soldiers unintentionally fired upon the approaching crowd.
Almost immediately, the crowd was punctured with death and injury as those who weren't killed by the barrage of bullets trampled each other to find cover from the accidental onslaught. The anger and fear had reached a boiling point, “ After midnight people huddling fearfully behind closed shutters were drawn out by a spectacle worthy of Dante’s Inferno: a horse and wagon, drawn by a muscular, bare-armed worker, bore five lifeless bodies, including the corpse of a young woman whose neck and chest were stained with a long stream of blood, “. “ at that moment,” noted d’Agoult, “ the corpse of a woman had more power than the bravest army in the world.”
- ( 1848 year of Revolution - Mike Rapport)
This quote proves that symbols of tyranny and cruelty can be used as a rallying motive, and in this case, the body of a young woman is seen as a symbol of the tyrannic ruling of Louis-Philippe, and how it can be overcome.
The protesters, armed with sticks, bricks and looted weapons, attacked government buildings, captured government officials. Many soldiers and government workers were confused, thinking the ending of Guizot’s reign as minister would have appeased the protesters. A soldier asked a protester about the situation, confused about the further conflict, “ ‘You know that Guizot has fallen?’ Yes, monsieur’ came a mocking reply from a short, stocky worker, who pointed at the Tuileries, ‘But we want more than that.’ “ - ( 1848 year of Revolution - Mike Rapport)
Louis-Philippe’s last stand came at Chateau D’eau, where he led a small group of stone faced troops against the onslaught of the protesters, who were quickly dismantled. The king retreated into the building, and, at the same desk of the late Napoleon Bonaparte, signed his paper of abdication, leaving the throne to his 11 year old grandson. The abdication of Louis-Philippe showed the downfall of a government, not for political fallacy, but for injustice towards the people of his country.

King Louis-Philippe was content with staying in power for as long as he could, and would make the necessary sacrifices to do so, whether it was abandoning his head minister Guizot, or abolishing his liberal laws to oppress those who stand against him.
His government failed because of its inequality towards middle class citizens, the continuously reversing laws and proclamations, and inconsistent leadership and efforts to better the country. I believe that Louis-Philippe did not uphold the liberal standings he spoke of when receiving the crown, but instead reverted to tyrannical leadership, which caused his
downfall.