radical movement and Pitt
“The weakness of the radical movement was the most important reason why Pitt survived the revolutionary threat to his government in the period 1789-1801”- how far do you agree with this statement? It could be argued that the radical movement was sparked off by the differences in opinion of Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine. ... Paine’s book led to the creation of the London Corresponding Society, a large radical movement that threatened Pitt’s authority, in his mind. ... Needless to say the government was worried about this sudden demand for reform, but how much of a threat were these radical movements? ... This helped the radical movements spread the word as they had an audience that was ready to listen to them because of the circumstances of the time. ... They were a threat to the government because they called for radical changes within the government, but also because their popularity was growing within the working class, which could put pressure on the government. ... The radical movement also made the mistake of overestimating the extent of their support, whilst underestimating the fear it would spark in the authorities. ... An important reason as to why they weren’t a threat was that, despite being radical groups, they were very restrained and non violent.