The Restoration Era: Europe After Napoleon
The Restoration: Europe After Napoleon
The Restoration: The defeat of Napoleon led to an effort to restore a political system designed by the victorious powers. The goal was to reinstate absolutism and prevent the resurgence of revolutionary movements. This involved returning to the pre-revolutionary status quo, rejecting national sovereignty, and upholding legitimacy.
Reordering of Europe: The Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna aimed to reshape European borders to balance the power of major nations. This included distributing the remnants of the Napoleonic empire and establishing zones of influence. Two key principles for international politics emerged:
- Congresses: Utilizing congresses for arbitral solutions.
- Right of Intervention: The Holy Alliance’s right to intervene in other nations’ affairs.
The Liberal Revolutions (1820-1830)
Liberals organized themselves into secret societies and groups (e.g., Freemasons, Carbonari, Decembrists). They considered themselves heirs to the Enlightenment and the French Revolution.
Key Events
- 1820-1824: A crisis in Spain led to intervention by the Holy Alliance.
- 1829-1839: The French Revolution of 1830 resulted in the defeat of the Bourbons and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy. Absolutism disappeared from Western Europe, paving the way for moderate liberalism, inspired by the French Constitution of 1791.
A moderate liberal elite monopolized political power, marginalizing the petty bourgeoisie. Consequently, liberals advocated for limited suffrage and restrictions on the army.
Democratic Experience and Society
1848: The end of the Restoration era marked by a new revolutionary wave, beginning in Paris in February 1848. In Eastern Europe, feudalism was abolished, while Western Europe saw the emergence of new democratic ideas.
Provisional governments emerged, including Republicans, socialists, and radicals, to implement political and social reforms.
The Restoration: The defeat of Napoleon led to an effort to restore a political system designed by the victorious powers. The goal was to reinstate absolutism and prevent the resurgence of revolutionary movements. This involved returning to the pre-revolutionary status quo, rejecting national sovereignty, and upholding legitimacy.
Reordering of Europe: The Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna aimed to reshape European borders to balance the power of major nations. This included distributing the remnants of the Napoleonic empire and establishing zones of influence. Two key principles for international politics emerged:
- Congresses: Utilizing congresses for arbitral solutions.
- Right of Intervention: The Holy Alliance’s right to intervene in other nations’ affairs.
The Liberal Revolutions (1820-1830)
Liberals organized themselves into secret societies and groups (e.g., Freemasons, Carbonari, Decembrists). They considered themselves heirs to the Enlightenment and the French Revolution.
Key Events
- 1820-1824: A crisis in Spain led to intervention by the Holy Alliance.
- 1829-1839: The French Revolution of 1830 resulted in the defeat of the Bourbons and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy. Absolutism disappeared from Western Europe, paving the way for moderate liberalism, inspired by the French Constitution of 1791.
A moderate liberal elite monopolized political power, marginalizing the petty bourgeoisie. Consequently, liberals advocated for limited suffrage and restrictions on the army.
Democratic and Social Experience
1848: The end of the Restoration era marked by a new revolutionary wave, beginning in Paris in February 1848. In Eastern Europe, feudalism was abolished, while Western Europe saw the emergence of new democratic ideas.
Provisional governments emerged, including Republicans, socialists, and radicals, to implement political and social reforms.