You're in the eye of a paperwork storm. On pause, Barry from a counting's voice, warbles into slow jazz.

Slower. Yeah. A sticky note flaps by your face like a drowsy hummingbird. Oblivious? You wonder,

how do Baxter's keep their chickens so tender in their Mexican chicken and lime soup?

Why?

Because when your Baxter soup is hot, even office admin stops for lunch. Hello and welcome to a History of Europe Key Battles podcast.

This is the Revolution of 1848.

In the first two parts in the series, I've talked about the background to the various revolutions which happened that year.

And in this third part, I talk about the revolutions themselves and how they started. The

The On the 12th of January 1848, King Ferdinand II of Naples in Sicily celebrated his 38th birthday with public events planned across his kingdom.

His subjects, however, were in no mood to celebrate, suffering as they were from hunger and an

economic downturn.

On the island of Sicily, crowds took to the streets to demonstrate against the government

which was based in the city of Naples, who they felt had failed to respond to an exceptionally tough winter.

In the city of Palermo, events got particularly out of hand.

In great numbers, peasants barricaded the streets,

unfurling the Italian tricular flag and shouting, long-lived Italy, the Sicilian constitution,

and Pius the 9th.

The garrison of the fortress of Castellamare fired upon them to try and dispel the crowds,

but the protesters attacked back.

Armed with rustic weapons they braved the grape shot from the garrison and streamed into the fortress.

Some 36 people were killed before the troops withdrew from the city.

Within days, the Sicilian countryside was in flames as throughout the island, angry

...