Famine et crise sociale et politique : l’Europe en 1846-1850 / Famine, social and political crisis in Europe in 1846-1850

In 1845-1847, plant diseases and bad weather combined to reduce harvests of potatoes and cereals. The famine and food shortages, which were still recurrent in Europe, occurred against a backdrop of growing trade. The study of this crisis is of twofold interest: it was the last famine to occur in Western Europe in peacetime, thanks to economic developments. It also preceded the 1848 revolutions. Historians have long thought that food crises gave rise to revolutions. The diversity of regional situations means that it should be possible to go beyond purely economic explanations to consider social and political factors.