Napoleonic Europe: Congress of Vienna, Restoration & Human Rights
Napoleonic Europe (1799-1815)
The Consulate (1799-1804)
The Consulate was governed by three consuls, with Napoleon as the First Consul, holding executive and legislative power. Key events include:
- 1801: Concordat with the Holy See.
- Centralized structures of the country were established.
- Modernization of university education and the economy.
The Empire (1804-1815)
- 1804: Napoleon appointed Emperor of the French.
- Implementation of the Civil Code, a significant piece of legislation for Europe.
- 1812: Disastrous campaigns in Spain and Russia.
- Defeat and exile to the island of Elba.
- 1815: Final defeat at Waterloo after the Hundred Days.
- Exile to the island of St. Helena, where he died.
The Restoration (1815-1848)
The Congress of Vienna (1814-1815)
Victorious powers, including Russia, Britain, and Austria, met at the Congress of Vienna. The objective was the restoration of absolutism and the old regime.
Alliances
- Holy Alliance: Prussia, Russia, and Austria.
- Quadruple Alliance: Prussia, Russia, Britain, and Austria, aimed at resolving conflicts through diplomatic means.
Liberal Bourgeois Revolutions
- 1820: Military coup in Spain, leading to the Liberal Triennium (1820-1823), which ended with French intervention.
- 1830: Charles X overthrown in France, replaced by the constitutional monarchy of Louis Philippe d’Orleans.
- Belgium gained independence from Holland.
- 1848: France: Louis Philippe of Orleans abdicated, leading to the Second Republic. Louis Napoleon Bonaparte later became Emperor.
- Revolutionary waves in Austria-Hungary and constitutional developments in Prussia.
Consequences
The triumph of the liberal bourgeoisie and peasantry as a new social force.
Human Rights
Modern Western culture originates in the late 18th century with the declaration of human rights and citizens’ rights by the French Constitutional Assembly. These rights emphasize respect, dignity, and safeguarding individual freedom.
Human rights are divided into:
- Positive rights: Obligations imposed on the state.
- Negative rights: Limitations on the actions of the state.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
- 1948: Proclaimed by the UN General Assembly.
- Incorporated into the collective consciousness of many societies.
Bases of the UDHR
- Freedom, justice, and peace.
- Recognition of the inherent dignity of all people.
- Development of friendly relations among peoples.
- Respect for universal and collective rights and fundamental freedoms.
Characteristics of Human Rights
- Innate: Belonging to all human beings.
- Universal: Applicable to all human beings.
- Absolute: Cannot be legitimately violated.
- Inalienable: Cannot be taken away.
- Imprescriptible: Do not expire.
- Progressive: Evolving and expanding.
Key Terms
Revolution
A violent change in the economic policies and social institutions of a nation.
Metropolis
The main city or head of a state or province.
Native
A person born in a Latin American country, possessing qualities esteemed as characteristics of that country.
Restoration
Restoring the political system that existed and had been replaced in a country.
Secondary Sector
All activities involving the processing of food and raw materials through various processes to make them more productive.