Perhaps the most interesting and pleasing outcome of the revolutions of 1848 is the reaction that was shared by many of the still-conservative governments. Politicians were awakened by the latest period of turmoil that similar rulers to those that were revolted against, began making huge and sweeping reforms in hopes of appeasing the volatile citizenry.
Napoleon III is a prime example of a skin-n-bones Emperor that began shifting his focus back towards ALL of his people, rather than just the "significant." While he maintained a solid grasp of the real power in government, he went on to develop the economy and more importantly, the cities of France. He took on the single biggest infrastructure re-buildings that Europe had seen to the date by modernizing the (still-medieval for the most part) Paris. Bare in mind, this is Napoleon the Emperor we're talking about, not some random do-gooder. While this is just one of countless examples of impacts felt after the 1848 revolutions, to me it's quite incredible that such hard-nosed dictators really aren't so hard-nosed in the face of a little hustle-n-bustle and hoopin-n-hollerin'.
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