Christopher Clark: The 1848 Revolutions

In his Winter Lecture, Christopher Clark asks why we should think about the Revolutions of 1848 now. Recorded at the British Museum on 15 February 2019.

Watch more history from the LRB:

ABOUT THE LRB

The LRB is Europe’s leading magazine of books and ideas. Published twice a month, it provides a space for some of the world’s best writers to explore a wide variety of subjects in exhilarating detail – from culture and politics to science and technology via history and philosophy. In the age of the long read, the LRB remains the pre-eminent exponent of the intellectual essay, admired around the world for its fearlessness, its range and its elegance.

As well as essays and book reviews each issue also contains poems, an exhibition review, ‘short cuts’, letters and a diary, and is available in print, online, and offline via our app. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access to almost 15,000 articles in our digital archive. Our website features a regular blog and a channel of audio and video content, including podcasts, author interviews and highlights from the events programme at the London Review Bookshop.

[claredarmy]

Hes one of a kind orator. His lecture is so entertaining and this is a second of his 1hr- lecture that ive watched before bed instead of being sleepy.

[kidmohair]

Prof Clark is, in my opinion, one of the best historians working at the moment.
His ability to take a subject, like the year of revolutions, explain it and make it relevant to a modern audience, is unmatched.
And to do that with such economy is a true gift, one to which we should all aspire, and be inspired by.

The emergence of the nation-state in the aftermath of 1848 was harnessed by the reactionary forces
of the old and tired monarchies and aristocracies desperately trying to cling to power.
It was quickly taken up by the new economic aristocracy that emerged from the
establishment of the wage-labour system, who saw that the best chance to maintain their power,
was to use the same repressive machinery that the old aristocrats had kindly set up for them.

It is still used by the (reactionary) populists in both Europe and the Americas, and the rest of the world, to distract from the planetary degradation and the (again) increasing social inequalities
that have resulted from 2 centuries of the blind pursuit of capitalist greed.
It has become married to, in this time, religious zealotry of a particularly vicious sort.

[juliestrickland]

Chris with the low key opera skills 😱👏👏👏

[BlueBaron]

It's almost bizarre that you can find a lecture filled with such sheer scholarship and brilliance on a platform like YouTube. Even his singing is exceptional.

[radio]

The effortlessness in which Chris jumps between his mothertounge and a flawless German and French pronunciation is very impressive.

[heisenstein]

49:00 This statement is so deep and profound, people who've been paying attention to the state of our current society will relate to this deeply. Another fantastic lecture, bravo!

[markusk]

Despite being Australian, Christopher Clark comes across as a true and heartfelt European. A great thinker and speaker, who is deciphering the complexity of 1848 and its implications on European history in an entertaining, thought provoking lecture in a sometimes bold, but mostly subtle, intricate and always humorous tone, attempting to tell history as objectively as it can be told. There are no rights and wrongs, only conflicting interests and forces leading to outcomes resonating to this day.

[stefanolissi]

The outstanding clarity with which this man is able to explain such a massively complicate theme as 1848 gives me chills

[jwestney]

I am watching/ listening again, again. I have been studying history for many years. Rarely do I find something worth listening twice or more.

[kevinmayer]

I've just discovered Professor Clark and am excited to hear more. He is a brilliant historian and lecturer!

[gutollewelyn]

Best lecture I've seen on any topic for an awful long time. His passion and expertise shines through and he presents it so wonderfully.

[frankmccluskey]

Erudite yet entertaining. 1848 has much to teach us about work, hunger and political forces.

[hevorg]

I really hope that the LRB and similar outlets become more culturally prevalent.

[doug]

Jesus it's hard work keeping up with what this man is saying and assimilating a quarter of it

[meljenkins]

Professor Clark gives a refreshment and understanding of other expressions of Jefferson’s recognition of the essentials of the struggles for humanity.

[pablosanta-maria]

He is a very clear. Excellent like all his work. As for clarity and well informed and highly entertaining I would recommend to watch his documentary on Frederick the great which is absolutely outstanding. This man is not only a seriously good historian but he has a true gift for keeping his audience glued to their seats. He is truly captivating.

[Jon.A.Scholt]

Anyone else listen to Mike Duncan's podcast 'Revolutions'? I've enjoyed his podcasts starting with 'The History of Rome', and they make for great listening if you have a work commute of any distance; mine being about 30 minutes fits the episode length well. I recommend them if you haven't listened, they're free to download. Cheers!

[aaroninky]

what an astonishing lecture (and lecturer). bravo!

[joelwatson]

Fantastic lecture and singing. So glad I stumbled upon this.

[kvasios]

Absolutely 100% correct on the reasons on why to reflect to 1848 Revolutions in today's world... I think this is gonna become even more apparent in the years to come.