Download Europe's 19th Century Politics: Conservatism, Liberalism, Radicalism, Nationalism - Prof. and more Study notes Cultural History of Europe in PDF only on Docsity! History 242 Lecture 9 9/29/09 Political landscape of Europe in the first half of the 19th century - Conservatism/Liberalism/Radicalism - Nationalism - Revolutions of 1848 Congress of Vienna - close of the Napoleonic wars - sets up a map of the countries - main aim: restore key pre-revolutionary ideas/forms - redistributes territory o balance situation of a few great powers o divvy up smaller territories central Europe (Holy Roman Empire) – biggest impact 300 little territories -> 50 in 19th century Before this period, politics looked like high school elections - candidates dealt with a lot with social connections and image (personal) - didn’t really stand for something bigger 18th century, formalized political positions (“idealized”) 1850 => coherent groups of people, not just personal cliques Most Important: conservatives, liberalism, radicalism Conservatives: - stable social order - some inherited status - old-fashioned rights of community - in favor of traditional economic processes (guilds) - orthodox in religious beliefs Liberalism: - in favor of constitutional monarchy - consistent rule of law - royal power limited by constitutional laws - fans of limited representative government o participation of election property and education: needed wage workers excluded - individual rights (free speech, public gathering) - opposed all traditional privileges (no guilds, aristocratic privileges) - may be advocates for free markets/trade (dif parts of Europe, Britain=supporter) British Politics: Tories 1815-1830 Conservative Landed interests (agricultural ppl) Corn law (1815) – repealed 1846 Whigs 1830 - - liberal/reformist manufacturing interests Reform Bill (1832) – 1 in 5 men can vote The Chartist Movement (The People’s Charter): [radical movement] - universal suffrage (Democracy) - election reform (secret ballot, annual elections) - abolition of property qualifications to serve in parliament; stipends for MPs Nationalism - loyalty to a cultural/political group (NOT sovereign) - movements that linguistic/cultural groups need their own countries o young Ireland 1840s (against England and Scotland) o Poland (nobles and middle class intellectuals against foreign rulers) o Russia (Slovafile movement, upset about cultural influence from west) - It all starts with a few people and then spread quite self-consciously o Opposed by conservatives Germany: conservatives want to keep small states German Nationalism - trace roots to 18th century (people write about the German nation – middle class educated ppl) - reaction to dominance of French/Italian high culture at German courts - shot in the arm from experience in Napoleonic Wars - normal people judged armies by the effect soldiers had on their normal life (didn’t care who the forces were as long as they didn’t bother them) 19th century people organized themselves into groups for nationalism - student fraternity groups - choir groups - gymnastic societies (strengthen the German people physically) - clubs that recruit people from other parts of German society - hiking clubs (see German nature) Groups look back at the Napoleonic Wars and create a myth about nationalism wars where Germans kicked out the French (yeah right) Revolutions of 1848 Causes:
