Commemorations of the revolution of 1848 and the second republic

To understand why the Revolution of 1848 and the Second Republic have so small a place in French collective memory, this study examines previous commemorations, monuments, and the uses of 1848 in political debates. The centenary celebrations in 1948 are examined in detail, as are other ways in which 1848 was remembered by different groups within the French political spectrum, and an attempt is made to explain why neither the ruling republicans nor the opposition on the Left have drawn more upon the symbols of 1848 and the Second Republic.