Rise of Nationalism and Liberal Revolutions in 19th-Century Europe
The Rise of Nationalism and Liberal Revolutions in 19th-Century Europe
Key Concepts and Events
Napoleon III
Proclaimed emperor in a popular insurrection in June 1845.
States General
Meeting called by the monarch, including representatives of the three estates. Not met in France since 1614.
Constitutional Monarchy
Monarchy where real power is limited by a constitution approved by parliament.
Congress of Vienna (1814-1815)
Meeting of great powers with the key objective of restoring pre-French Revolution order, rejecting national sovereignty and constitutionalism.
Vote
Group of people entitled to vote.
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789)
Granted French citizens rights, including political and property rights.
The Directory (1795)
Restored executive and legislative power, divided among five people (including Napoleon).
Charter of 1814
Document acknowledging some political rights, promulgated by Louis XVIII.
The Restoration in Europe
The Congress System
The Congress of Vienna aimed to return to absolutism, rejecting the revolution and recognizing the right of monarchs. Some countries, like France under Louis XVIII, adopted a limited form of constitutionalism to appease the bourgeoisie.
Reshaping the European Map
The Congress of Vienna redrew European boundaries in the interests of the victorious powers, disregarding national aspirations. The goal was to balance power through deals on the remains of the Napoleonic Empire. Two principles governed international politics: congresses and the right of intervention against liberal revolutions by the Holy Alliance.
Liberal Revolutions
Revolutions of 1820 and 1830
Liberals organized in secret societies, like the Freemasons. The 1820 revolutions saw initial failures but wins in Spain, Portugal, Naples, and Piedmont. The revolution in France ousted the Bourbons, establishing a constitutional monarchy under Louis Philippe. This influenced Belgian independence. By the late 1830s, moderate liberalism, with limited suffrage and freedoms, prevailed in Western Europe.
Revolutions of 1848
The 1848 revolutions ended the Restoration system. Causes included failed reforms and deteriorating conditions for artisans and workers. New democratic ideals emerged, advocating popular sovereignty and universal male suffrage.
Construction of Nation-States
Nation and National Movements
The formation of nation-states began with unitary states in the 17th and 18th centuries. The liberal revolutions stimulated the concept of a nation as citizens linked by history, language, culture, and the desire to live together under common laws and institutions.
First National Movements (1820-1830)
The Congress of Vienna map disregarded stateless cultural communities like the German and Italian. Nationalist revolts emerged within liberal revolutions. Greece began a separatist insurrection against the Ottoman Empire in 1820. Belgium gained independence from the Netherlands through civil war.
The Springtime of Peoples
The 1848 revolutions had a nationalistic element in the Austrian Empire, where the Austrian minority held absolute power. The “Springtime of Peoples” saw insurrections in Vienna, Prague, Poland, Croatia, Lombardy, Venice, and Hungary. While these movements were defeated, the Austrian Empire was forced to introduce reforms.