Chartist Rebellion

[Adlaf Featherstan]

Does any chance exist of the Chartist Petition of 1848 being fired on by British troops leading to an English Civil War?

[Adlaf Featherstan]

bumpety bump bump

[Faeelin]

Originally Posted by Adlaf Featherstan

Does any chance exist of the Chartist Petition of 1848 being fired on by British troops leading to an English Civil War?

I don't think to. To be a civil war and not a massacre, you need enough people with power on your side; and who would back the Chartists?

[Jason]

It is very unlikely, the Chartists (despite the fears of the time and the sillier demands by the more extreme elements) were simply not a revolutionary movement.

At worst, you get another Peterloo Massacre.

You have to remember that the Chartist leaders had already been scared senseless by General Napier and his demonstration of artillery firepower, they knew that for the sake of their followers they had to avoid any confrontation with the military. In a strange way, you need to do away with a sensible general first so the Chartist leaders might feel more willing to confront the military but even then its hard to see a civil war developing.

[037771]

Originally Posted by Jason

It is very unlikely, the Chartists (despite the fears of the time and the sillier demands by the more extreme elements) were simply not a revolutionary movement.

At worst, you get another Peterloo Massacre.

You have to remember that the Chartist leaders had already been scared senseless by General Napier and his demonstration of artillery firepower, they knew that for the sake of their followers they had to avoid any confrontation with the military. In a strange way, you need to do away with a sensible general first so the Chartist leaders might feel more willing to confront the military but even then its hard to see a civil war developing.

I tried this scenario and simply gave up for lack of plausibility. You really do get a huge Peterloo massacre- i wouldnt be surprised if subsequenrt governments actually pass reform acts earlier rather than later on. I think the Duke of Wellington was C in C at the time, but IMO he might have mellowed since his Prime Ministerial days.....