the good that did arise

When reading about the revolutions of 1848 my first thought was that the revolutions were all political blunders. This was however not the case; although the revolutions did little to actually change policy, the revolutions showed the people in power that if they wanted to maintain their control and order, they would need to make changes in policy in order to prevent the kind of chaotic revolution that arose from an attempt to change from below. An example of this was the reign of Napoleon III. Napoleon III appealed to both workers and the middle classes by legalizing strikes and trade unions and promoting industrial expansion. He rebuilt Paris, though for multiple reasons, improving water and sewer lines in an attempt to improve people’s living conditions. He didn’t necessarily have to spend time or money on these things, but did because it appeased those who would most likely rebel.