Date: May 4th
Category: Hidden Histories | Women in Resistance
You may know May 4th as Star Wars Day — but in the grand tradition of rebellion, we think it’s time to honour some real rebels in real empires. While Jedi fiction is fun, the 19th-century equivalent of Princess Leia and Padmé Amidala were marching through the muddy streets of Europe in 1848, waving banners, distributing radical pamphlets, and occasionally storming palaces in petticoats.
Let’s dive into the lesser-known stories of the revolutionary women of 1848 — a pan-European year of upheaval that saw monarchies tremble, barricades rise, and the dream of democracy flicker (albeit briefly) into life.
🌍 What Were the Revolutions of 1848?
Known as the Springtime of the Peoples, the revolutions of 1848 were a series of simultaneous uprisings across Europe — in France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Hungary, and beyond. Protesters demanded liberal constitutions, national unification, freedom of the press, and the right to vote.
Most of the uprisings were eventually crushed. But for a moment, it seemed the old order might crumble — and women were right there at the front.
✊ The Women Who Refused to Stay Silent
📣 Flora Tristan – France
Part socialist thinker, part feminist firebrand, Tristan called for the emancipation of workers and women long before either were fashionable causes. Her Worker’s Union (1843) was a blueprint for unity across class and gender.
“The emancipation of the working class must be the work of the workers themselves – and that includes women.”
📜 Louise Aston – Germany
A poet, political writer, and radical democrat, Aston scandalised Berlin by wearing trousers, smoking cigars, and living independently. She published revolutionary writings, called for women’s suffrage, and was exiled multiple times.
📚 Banned, banished, and bold — the holy trinity of a true revolutionary.
🧵 Anna Plochl – Austria
Okay, not quite a barricade-builder, but fascinating nonetheless. This postmistress from Bad Aussee married Archduke Johann of Austria in a morganatic marriage (forbidden by the Habsburg court). Their love story symbolised a break from aristocratic tradition — and turned her into a folk hero of the Austrian liberal movement.
🎨 Giuseppina Martinuzzi – Italy
Teacher, journalist, and activist, she fused socialism and feminism into a potent form of resistance. A fierce critic of militarism, she believed education was the key to revolution — and women were the best teachers.
🏫 Want to light the fire of liberty? Start in the classroom.
🧭 Where to Time Travel
Want to walk in their footsteps?
- 🇫🇷 Paris, France – The Musée Carnavalet has artefacts from 1848’s barricades.
- 🇩🇪 Berlin, Germany – Revolution 1848/49 walking tours (with stops at Louise Aston’s favourite cafés).
- 🇮🇹 Rome & Milan, Italy – Statues and plaques honouring the Risorgimento revolutionaries.
- 🇭🇺 Budapest, Hungary – Kossuth Square, named after Lajos Kossuth, includes tributes to the women of the Hungarian independence movement.
🛍️ Rebellious Women Wear History
Celebrate their spirit with our new “Daughters of 1848” collection:
- Illustrated journals featuring revolutionary heroines
- Tees with quotes from Flora, Louise, and more
- A mini zine: Rebels in Petticoats: A Pocket Guide to Women of 1848 (free with any purchase this week!)
📚 Want to Know More?
- Revolutionary Women in 19th-Century Europe – British Library
- Sisters of the Revolution by Jessie Kindig (Anthology)
- Liberty, Equality, Fraternity… and Women – Open University
- Louise Aston’s Writings Online Archive
💬 Join the Guild Chat
Which historical revolutionary woman inspires you most?
Tag your reading, art, or cosplay with #RealRebelsGuild — we’ll feature a selection at the end of May!
