Summary of major political changes in Europe from 1450 to 1750

1. Chapter 23: The Rise of Europe An Age of Revolution, Industry, and Empire 1750-1914

2. Part I: Revolution and Nation States Enlightenment and revolutionary ideas The American Revolution The French Revolution The reign of Napoleon Bonaparte New ideologies: conservatism, liberalism, and radicalism Nations and nationalism The unification of Italy and Germany

3. Enlightenment and Revolutionary Ideas Before the Enlightenment, rulers: Were autocrats Claimed divine right Were often closely linked to religious institutions

4. Enlightenment philosophies (17th and 18th centuries) questioned the arbitrary rule of monarchs Locke argued governments function is to protect peoples rights and to remove divine agents from government Individual rights examined Voltaire questioned religious intolerance and government censorship

5. Political and legal equality sought Rousseau argues the aristocracy do not contribute more to society and therefore shouldn’t have more rights Discussions about ending slavery and treating indigenous people as equals emerge Enlightenment ideas have a global impact Increasing literacy rates and cheap books  rapid spread of ideas Social reformers and revolutionaries demand enlightened change on behalf of people

6. The American Revolution By 1760, American colonists chafe under British rule Economic impact of Seven Years War  increasing taxes in colonies Colonists argue they should govern their own affairs No taxation w/o representation (Locke) Boston Tea Party 1773 1774- Constitutional Convention formed to organize resistance to British policies

7. Declaration of Independence showcases Enlightenment ideas Equality- Rousseau, Voltaire Life, liberty, property- Locke Government derives power from the consent of the governed- Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu 1787- Constitutional Convention creates government based on Montesquieu’s three branch system and popular sovereignty Bill of Rights- first 10 amendments: protects peoples’ rights against government tyranny

8. The French Revolution French revolutionaries grow to hate “ancien regime” and want to replace with new social and political order based on Enlightenment thought Overspending, government debt, and poor weather all contribute to serious economic trouble Louis XVI calls the Estates General to fix the economic disaster

9. The Estates General Council made up of three estates that had the power to raise taxes Broken up into three groups based on social class called Estates The Estates General had not met in over 100 years since the reign of Louis XIV

10. Each Estate got one vote when the Estates General met

11. The Third Estate demands reform to give the majority greater economic and political equality  Creation of the National Assembly June 17, 1789- National Assembly writes The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen June 20, 1789- Tennis Court Oath July 14, 1789- Peasants storm the Bastille, from the beginning this revolution is more violent and radical than the American

13. 1789-1791 The Moderate Phase… Main ideas: “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” Abolished serfdom and social rank Created a constitutional monarchy Made the Catholic Church subordinate to the state, and all members of the clergy civil employees, confiscated Church lands Most people continue to live in poverty despite changes

14. Rumors begin to fly… The king is corresponding with nobles who fled France Austria and Prussia are planning an invasion to restore Louis XVI to full power  creation of more radical government, the National Convention Begins policy of universal military conscription Declares war on Austria and Prussia Put members of nobility and aristocracy on trial  executions, even Louis XVI!

15. 1793-1794 The Reign of Terror: radical terror controls France MaximilienRobespierre and radical Jacobins gain control of the National Convention Use terror to try to establish a “republic of virtue” Try to replace Christianity with a “Cult of Reason” Terror ends with Robespierre’s execution New government, the Directory created = horrible failure!

16. The Reign of Napoleon Bonaparte During the revolution, Napoleon makes a name for himself as a successful general 1799- Napoleon joins the Directory Overthrows the Directory after Austria, Britain, and Russia form an alliance against France 1802- Imposes a constitution and names himself emperor

17. Napoleon brought peace and prosperity to France Made peace with the Catholic Church but insisted on religious tolerance Wrote the Civil Code (Code Napoleon) Affirmed political and legal equality between all men Established a merit-based society Encouraged freedom of occupation Protected private property But… Kept women subservient to men Did not create a representative government Limited free speech and censored the press

18. Napoleon uses his “Grand Army” to try to conquer Europe Conquered Iberia, Italy, and the Netherlands Forced Austria, Prussia, and Russia to ally with him and accept a French hegemony Finally defeated in 1812 and again in 1815 by a joint British, Austrian, Prussian, and Russian confederation that forced Napoleon to abdicate and go into exile (two times!) Napoleon’s armies spread Enlightenment ideas and nationalism as they conquered and inspired revolutions around the Atlantic world

19. New Political Ideologies The American and French Revolutions help crystallize political ideologies Conservatism: See society as an organism that will change slowly over the course of many generations English philosopher Edmund Burke condemned radical revolutionary change and denounced the violence and chaos of the French Revolution

20. Liberalism: Embraced and welcomed change as an agent of progress Saw conservatism as a tool of the aristocracy to maintain power Wanted to manage change to bring about Enlightenment freedom and equality Favored representative monarchy, but feared full democracy Preferred to work within the political system to achieve change peacefully over the use of violence

21. Radicalism- The idea that rapid extreme change was needed to grant all people full rights Favored full democracy Favored full equality for all races and genders Willing to use violence to make change happen

22. The Congress of Vienna Meeting of European leaders following Napoleon’s defeat Represents a conservative response to Napoleon and the French Revolution Exiled Napoleon to St. Helena Reestablished pre-revolution monarchies, including France Created a balance of power by weakening France and strengthening its neighbors

23. Nations and Nationalism Revolutionary change  emergence of modern nations What is a nation (nation-state?) Nationalists argued that it is gov’ts job to promote the interests of their group, sometimes using violence as needed

24. Nationalist leaders often viewed outsiders and minorities with suspicion  anti-Semitism Anti-Semitism  Zionist movement: goal = create a homeland for the Jews in Palestine

25. Emergence of National Communities Resistance to Napoleon’s growing empire helps define new nations in Europe Napoleon’s defeat  conservative control over European nations Conservative control  revolutions 1820- Greeks successfully revolt against Ottoman rule (also nationalism) 1830 and 1848- Liberals in France, Austria and Prussia revolt against conservative monarchies but do not succeed in making major changes Conservatives see that some compromise is necessary to prevent revolutions in the future

27. Italy Unifies 1859- Count Camillodi Cavour of Sardinia allies with France to drive out Austria and Prussia 1860- Giuseppe Garibaldi brings southern Italy into alliance with Sardinia 1870- King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia becomes king of united Italy Italy does not gain control of “Italia Irridente” (Italy unredeemed) land in the north east remaining under Austrian control

29. Germany Unifies 1815- Congress of Vienna denies Prussia request to form a Germanic kingdom; Metternich fears upsetting the Balance of Power 1830- Liberals revolt against Prussian monarch Wilhelm I, but are stopped by conservative forces 1848- Liberal revolt and attempt to create a limited monarchy fail

31. 1862- Wilhelm I of Prussia appoints anti-parliamentarian Otto von Bismarck Prime Minister to use “Blood and Iron” to unify the German people under Prussian rule 1864-1870- Bismarck provokes war and wins against Austria, France, Denmark  increased territory and nationalism 1871- Wilhelm I crowns himself Kaiser of the second German reich