Vienna Uprising
The Habsburg troubles began on March 3, 1848, when Louis Kossuth (1802-1894), a Magyar nationalist and member of the Hungarian Diet, attacked Austrian domination of Hungary, calle3d for the independence of Hungary, and demanded a responsible ministry under the Habsburg dynasty. Ten days later, inspired by Kosuth's speeches, students led a series of major disturbances in Vienna. The army failed to restore order. Metternich resigned and fled the country. The feebleminded Emperor Ferdinand promised a moderately liberal constitution. Unsatisfied, the radical students then formed democratic clubs to pres the revolution further. On May 17, the emperor and the imprerial court fled to Innsbruck. The government of Vienna at this point lay in the hands of a committe of more than 200 persons primarily concerned with alleviating the economic plight of Viennese workers.
Significance
Almost immediately after the Vienna uprising, the imperial government had emancipated the serfs in much of Austria. The Hungarian Diet also abolished serfdom in March 1848. These actions smothered the most serious potential threat to order in the empire. The emancipated serfs now had little reason to support the revolutionary movement in the cities. These emancipations were one of the most important permanent results of the Revolutions of 1848.
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