The Age of Ideologies Part I- An Overview Part I- An Overview
A theme to keep in mind for the rest of our course…. Dual Revolutions
The Age of Ideologies Reactions to Post Industrial and Post French Revolutionary World (Dual Revolutions) Simmering Social Unrest –The Revolutions of 1830 and 1848
Why were the French Revolution and Industrial Revolution So Important to Intellectual Trends? French Revolution –Ideas of the Enlightenment were spread throughout Europe by Napoleon’s armies –Even though these ideas were bottled up by the Congress of Vienna, they were NOT destroyed Industrial Revolution –Society was dramatically, if unintentionally, changed –Power shifted increasingly from the aristocracy to the factory owning (bourgeois) class –Proletariat concentrated (often unhappily) in the city (parallels the French Revolution) Factory working conditions are, in many ways, degrading Urban life is new and not carefully planned- crime, pollution, debauchery, etc. What does it all mean? new intellectual themes
The Age of Ideologies Part II- Start at the Beginning- The Congress of Vienna Part II- Start at the Beginning- The Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna (September 1, 1814 – June 9, 1815) Meeting of Conservative Leaders after Waterloo Intend to Erase the French Revolution
Key Players at Vienna The “Host” Prince Klemens von Metternich (Aus.) Foreign Minister, Viscount Castlereagh (Br.) Tsar Alexander I (Rus.) King Frederick William III (Prus.) Foreign Minister, Charles Maurice de Tallyrand (Fr.)
Congress of Vienna Represented Conservatism Tradition- ancien regime had been around for so long that it must be good and must match with God’s laws Religion is a bedrock of society Look what liberalism just caused! –Revolutions were just bourgeois troublemakers inciting the good, peaceful, contented lower classes
Even Traditionally Liberal England Swung in a more Conservative Direction After The French Revolution Is this logical? –Horrors of the French Revolution force the country to the right Corn Laws –England cannot import wheat after the Napoleonic Wars Designed to keep profit of aristocratic land owners high Peterloo Massacre –Poor are protesting laws like the Corn Law and demanding a wider franchise to get laws more supportive of the people –St. Peter’s Field protestors are attacked by the British regular army –Irony of naming after Waterloo?
Corn Laws Help to Explain the Rise of the Chartists The reason laws are only for the rich is that … –…only the rich can vote If workers can vote, politicians must court them
Key Principles Established at Vienna Balance of Power Ring France with Strong Countries Legitimacy Return hereditary monarchs Compensation France was occupied for 5 years Paid reparations Both of these punishments might have been avoided, but for the ______________________ Balance of Power Ring France with Strong Countries Legitimacy Return hereditary monarchs Compensation France was occupied for 5 years Paid reparations Both of these punishments might have been avoided, but for the ______________________
Balance of Power –preserve peace in Europe Compensation –the demands of the victors (especially the Prussians and the Russians) for compensation threatened the Balance of Power –Arguments between Russia/Prussia and England/Austria almost resparked war Key Tension at Vienna Solution Britain and Austria turned to France for support. Prussia and Russia were forced to compromise Why was this good for France? –More lenient treatment V
VFrance was deprived of all territory conquered by Napoléon. VBourbons restored to the French throne VRussia was given most of Duchy of Warsaw (Poland). VPrussia was given half of Saxony, parts of Poland, and other German territories. (‘sentinel on the Rhine’) VA Germanic Confederation of 30+ states (including Prussia) was created from the previous 300, under Austrian rule. VAustria was given back territory it had lost recently, plus more in Germany and Italy. VThe House of Orange was given the Dutch Republic and the Austrian Netherlands to rule. (why?) VWhy don’t I have England listed here? Changes Made at Vienna (1)
Europe After the Congress of Vienna
Was the Congress of Vienna Successful? Yes… –Congress System (what was this?) –No general European war for 100 years –Holy Alliance (what was it?) Carslbad Decrees (in Germany) United action to crush uprising in the ‘Two Sicilies’ No… –Continuing struggle between the forces of conservatism and liberalism/radicalism Revolutions in 1830 and 1848 –Some Liberal Movements were successful Latin America wins its independence
Why Such Fear of Liberalism? The Usual –stirred up the lower-classes and caused war and bloodshed –Threatened tradition/status quo/hierarchy/ Great Chain, etc. A New Concern –Liberalism was increasingly connected to nationalism –nationalist aspirations in central Europe, which could lead to war and the breakup of the Austrian and Russian Empires –Austria, for examples was dominated by the minority Germans, contained many ethnic groups, including Hungarians/Czechs –So what does nationalism mean for Metternich or the Tsar?