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From 1803-1815, Napoleon and his armies traversed Europe to try to unite the continent under French control.When Napoleon was crossing the continent, he unknowingly spread his ideal of nationalism, which was the idea of national pride and unity. There were three steps to this spread: first, Napoleon’s conquest of Europe spread nationalism throughout the continent; second, the Congress of Vienna repressed nationalism for almost a century while oppressing countries rights, which had the paradoxical effect of spreading Nationalism even further; third, the Revolutions of 1848 used Nationalism to change the leadership and political landscape in countries like Austria, France, Prussia, and Spain. Thus, Nationalism changed Europe as a whole.
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NAPOLEONS CONQUEST
In 1803, General Napoleon Bonaparte launched an offensive to conquer all of Europe and put it under French control. Out of the 60 battles he fought, he only lost seven. Napoleon once said, “I wished to found a European system, a European Code of Laws, a European judiciary: there would be but one people in Europe,…”(Zamoyski 143). He achieved this goal. At the height of Napoleon’s empire, he had control over Spain, Italy, France, parts of Prussia and Russia (BBC Napoleon). In 1812, Napoleon attempted to invade Russia in the winter, but failed terribly. He lost thousands of troops to the cold and lack of resources, and from there he only fell. In 1815, his empire collapsed as he lost the Battle of Waterloo (BBC Napoleon). Unknowingly, however, Napoleon had been spreading the concept of nationalism. Before Napoleon began his conquest, France had a bloody revolution, which instilled the concept of nationalism within the citizens of France. By 1815, almost every country that felt Napoleon’s influence had adopted nationalism (BBC Napoleon). When Napoleon took over a country, his ideals for governing that country seeped through to the people. He used French propaganda to help his cause, and this propaganda contained some of the main ideals of Napoleon. One of these was nationalism. Nationalism, at its core, is a feeling that people have of being loyal to and proud of their country often with the belief that it is better and more important than other countries. Once Nationalism caught on, it started to influence the public mindset, convincing the people that they needed more rights. The entire continent was beginning to be pushed to revolution. Nationalism began driving countries led by monarchs and dictators to change their social and political statuses and give the people more rights. It also started to plant the idea in their minds that a dictatorship or monarchy may not be the ideal situation for their country. It caused the people of each different country in Europe to feel more unified and together as one, instead of split between themselves. This posed a threat to the rulers of the various countries that Napoleon had conquered. They feared that nationalism would cause reforms in their governments and possibly cause them to lose their power. These leaders decided to default to their usual plan of action and repress nationalism and other new ideals brought by Napoleon, an attempt that would soon backfire and cause thousands of lives to be lost. |
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"The Congress was made of representatives from exactly 5 major countries: Russia, Prussia, Britain, France and Austria " |
THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA
In 1814, a group of ambassadors led by Klemens Wensel Von Metternich met in Vienna. This group was called together to discuss topics of importance throughout Europe, mainly national borders, war and peace, political atmospheres in different countries, and alliances between nations. The newly christened “Congress of Vienna” met to ensure stability in Europe and protect the status quo (The Congress of Vienna, Suffolk Community College). They tried hard to repress new ideas and keep Europe as it was. The main ideas they opposed and tried to suppress were nationalism itself, freedoms of speech and expression, equality among all citizens, and democracy. They supported the resolution that “there is always a resolution to conflict”(The Congress of Vienna, Suffolk Community College). While the Congress of Vienna seemed like an honorable organization that wanted to do good, they had a few major problems. One, was their representation mishap. The Congress was made up of representatives from exactly 5 major countries: Russia, Prussia, Britain, France and Austria (The Congress of Vienna, Suffolk Community College). Every other country in Europe was not represented at all, and their wishes were not taken into account (Zamoyski 256). Another problem was the lack of progressive thought, exemplified by their plans to revert Europe to pre-Napoleonic times. The Congress’s goal was to maintain peace, a goal that they succeeded in. There were no wars for 40 years during and after the establishment of the Congress. There were only a few changes made by the Congress. One was to push France back to its 1790 territories and borders. Another was to restore as many feudalistic monarchies and oligarchies that had been destroyed by Napoleon. These plans clearly opposed what the public was thinking. The populace soon began to believe even more in nationalism and equality, and strangely spread those ideals further. The citizens of most countries soon saw the Congress as limiting their rights. A loss of rights among the people pushed the citizens to refuse the ideals proposed by the Congress. Citizens in countries like Spain, Austria, France, and others were now convinced that nationalism would be the answer to their problems.The citizens saw no way out from the Congress and the dictators ruling their respective countries, and so they were forced to try their only way out of the situation- revolution. |
THE REVOLUTIONS OF 1848
George Macaulay Trevlyn (1937) once described the Revolutions of 1848 as “The turning point at which history failed to turn” (Silvapages Revolutions in Austria). These revolutions forced the countries involved to change. Indeed, the Revolutions of 1848 both radically altered Europe and changed the life for citizens in every European country but England and Russia (Berger 5).These revolutions were incited by unrest due to a few factors. One of these was economic failure. In Ireland, a potato famine deprived most of the population with food (Berger 4).Harvests were poor in Britain and Ireland as well. Investments in railways, coal and iron failed. As a result, a large percentage of Europe was driven into poverty (Berger 5). This poverty convinced affected citizens that they needed a new government to help them get out of their economic situation. This was the perfect catalyst for the revolution. New ideas for government were surfacing, the most popular being nationalism. All of these factors sent Europe barreling to the ultimate reaction- the revolutions. There were only two countries in Europe completely untouched by revolution- Britain and Russia (Berger 6). The reason those two countries remained stable is most likely because England had had a revolution which stabilized their government, and Russia was rooted firmly in the past and couldn't muster enough progressive thought to revolt. France, in particular, had a bloody revolution, called the February Revolution. The king in control of France was King Louis Phillipe, an absolute monarch and despot who seized control of the nation. His minister, Francois Guzot, was particularly despised as he opposed electoral reform (The Revolutions of 1848 in France).To protest against the king, the citizens set up banquets, meetings of mostly male citizens protesting. In the Paris Banquet, troops opened fire on civilians in busy streets (The Revolutions of 1848 in France). Multiple barricades were erected in different parts of France to break up the revolutionaries. However, The National Guard of France joined the rebels and aided them in their protests against the government. On February 24, 1849, King Louis Phillipe abdicated (The Revolutions of 1848 in France). In Austria, an eerily similar riot took place. Austria was, at the time, a very conservative monarchy. It was chained in the past, with a policy of serfdom hurting the majority. The Austrian government was both corrupt and filled with scandals. This left Austria, led by Ferdinand I, open to a revolution (Silvapages Revolutions in Austria).And that is exactly what happened. On March 13, 1848, riots broke out in Vienna, the same city that hosted the Congress 33 years prior (Silvapages Revolutions in Austria). After a few months of rioting, the Austrian Empire collapsed, and serfdom was abolished. Similar revolutions took place in Italy, Hungary, Romania, Spain, Germany, Prussia, and Ireland. These revolutions may have seemed horrific, but they changed Europe in a radical way, removing rulers like Ferdinand I from positions of power and abolishing practices like serfdom . Soon, most governments in Europe were based on a new government. Nationalistic ideals were instilled in thousands of people. Soon, competition between countries became sharper, as people began believing in their country as a whole, and pushed it to be better than other countries. This pushed Europe as a whole towards the future. Many of the advances we take for granted today, like citizens rights and a free market would not have emerged if it were not for Nationalism. However, other ideas and ideals were appearing at this time period as well. One of these was Communism. The Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, was published in 1848, when the revolutions were in full swing (Berger 19). The countries that adopted communism were at odds with the rest of the nationalistic and competitive world, and this laid the framework for many wars. Nationalism became the early form of capitalism, a system based on competition.
WORKS CITED
Primary Sources
1814. TS. Vienna. The Congress of Vienna. Web. 07 Nov. 2014.
Bonaparte, Napoleon. "Napoleon's Correspondence." N.d. MS. The War Times Journal. Web.
Hugo, Victor. Les Miserables. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Spiel, Hilde. The Congress of Vienna; an Eyewitness Account. Philadelphia: Chilton Book, 1968. Print.
"The Revolution of 1848 in France." The Revolution of 1848 in France. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2014.
Secondary Sources
Berger, Helge, and Mark Spoerer. "1848 Revolutions." JSTOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2014.
Baines, Edward. History of the Wars of the French Revolution: From the Breaking out of the War in 1792, to the Restoration of a General Peace in 1815 ; Comprehending the Civil History of Great Britain and France during That Period. London: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown ... and James Harper, 1817. Print.
"The Congress of Vienna." The Congress of Vienna. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2014.
"Napoleon Bonaparte." Napoleon Bonaparte. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2014.
"Napoleonic Wars and the United States, 1803–1815 - 1801–1829 - Milestones - Office of the Historian." Napoleonic Wars and the United States, 1803–1815 - 1801–1829 - Milestones - Office of the Historian. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2014.
"Silvapages." 1848 Revolutions in Austria. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2014.
Zamoyski, Adam. Rites of Peace: The Fall of Napoleon & the Congress of Vienna. New York: HarperCollins, 2007. Print
George Macaulay Trevlyn (1937) once described the Revolutions of 1848 as “The turning point at which history failed to turn” (Silvapages Revolutions in Austria). These revolutions forced the countries involved to change. Indeed, the Revolutions of 1848 both radically altered Europe and changed the life for citizens in every European country but England and Russia (Berger 5).These revolutions were incited by unrest due to a few factors. One of these was economic failure. In Ireland, a potato famine deprived most of the population with food (Berger 4).Harvests were poor in Britain and Ireland as well. Investments in railways, coal and iron failed. As a result, a large percentage of Europe was driven into poverty (Berger 5). This poverty convinced affected citizens that they needed a new government to help them get out of their economic situation. This was the perfect catalyst for the revolution. New ideas for government were surfacing, the most popular being nationalism. All of these factors sent Europe barreling to the ultimate reaction- the revolutions. There were only two countries in Europe completely untouched by revolution- Britain and Russia (Berger 6). The reason those two countries remained stable is most likely because England had had a revolution which stabilized their government, and Russia was rooted firmly in the past and couldn't muster enough progressive thought to revolt. France, in particular, had a bloody revolution, called the February Revolution. The king in control of France was King Louis Phillipe, an absolute monarch and despot who seized control of the nation. His minister, Francois Guzot, was particularly despised as he opposed electoral reform (The Revolutions of 1848 in France).To protest against the king, the citizens set up banquets, meetings of mostly male citizens protesting. In the Paris Banquet, troops opened fire on civilians in busy streets (The Revolutions of 1848 in France). Multiple barricades were erected in different parts of France to break up the revolutionaries. However, The National Guard of France joined the rebels and aided them in their protests against the government. On February 24, 1849, King Louis Phillipe abdicated (The Revolutions of 1848 in France). In Austria, an eerily similar riot took place. Austria was, at the time, a very conservative monarchy. It was chained in the past, with a policy of serfdom hurting the majority. The Austrian government was both corrupt and filled with scandals. This left Austria, led by Ferdinand I, open to a revolution (Silvapages Revolutions in Austria).And that is exactly what happened. On March 13, 1848, riots broke out in Vienna, the same city that hosted the Congress 33 years prior (Silvapages Revolutions in Austria). After a few months of rioting, the Austrian Empire collapsed, and serfdom was abolished. Similar revolutions took place in Italy, Hungary, Romania, Spain, Germany, Prussia, and Ireland. These revolutions may have seemed horrific, but they changed Europe in a radical way, removing rulers like Ferdinand I from positions of power and abolishing practices like serfdom . Soon, most governments in Europe were based on a new government. Nationalistic ideals were instilled in thousands of people. Soon, competition between countries became sharper, as people began believing in their country as a whole, and pushed it to be better than other countries. This pushed Europe as a whole towards the future. Many of the advances we take for granted today, like citizens rights and a free market would not have emerged if it were not for Nationalism. However, other ideas and ideals were appearing at this time period as well. One of these was Communism. The Communist Manifesto, written by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, was published in 1848, when the revolutions were in full swing (Berger 19). The countries that adopted communism were at odds with the rest of the nationalistic and competitive world, and this laid the framework for many wars. Nationalism became the early form of capitalism, a system based on competition.
WORKS CITED
Primary Sources
1814. TS. Vienna. The Congress of Vienna. Web. 07 Nov. 2014.
Bonaparte, Napoleon. "Napoleon's Correspondence." N.d. MS. The War Times Journal. Web.
Hugo, Victor. Les Miserables. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Spiel, Hilde. The Congress of Vienna; an Eyewitness Account. Philadelphia: Chilton Book, 1968. Print.
"The Revolution of 1848 in France." The Revolution of 1848 in France. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2014.
Secondary Sources
Berger, Helge, and Mark Spoerer. "1848 Revolutions." JSTOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2014.
Baines, Edward. History of the Wars of the French Revolution: From the Breaking out of the War in 1792, to the Restoration of a General Peace in 1815 ; Comprehending the Civil History of Great Britain and France during That Period. London: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown ... and James Harper, 1817. Print.
"The Congress of Vienna." The Congress of Vienna. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2014.
"Napoleon Bonaparte." Napoleon Bonaparte. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2014.
"Napoleonic Wars and the United States, 1803–1815 - 1801–1829 - Milestones - Office of the Historian." Napoleonic Wars and the United States, 1803–1815 - 1801–1829 - Milestones - Office of the Historian. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2014.
"Silvapages." 1848 Revolutions in Austria. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2014.
Zamoyski, Adam. Rites of Peace: The Fall of Napoleon & the Congress of Vienna. New York: HarperCollins, 2007. Print