1815-1830 Upheaval Challenges to Order & Conservative Reactions Challenges to the Concert of Europe
Feb 23, 2016
1815-1830 Upheaval
Challenges to Order & Conservative ReactionsChallenges to the Concert of Europe
Chronology of Uprisings1. German Confederation Wartburg Festival &
Burschenschaften (1817-1819): FAILED2. England Peterloo Massacre (1819): FAILED3. Spain (1820-1823): FAILED4. Italy part 1 (1820-1821): FAILED5. Greece (1821-1830): SUCCESSFUL6. Russian Decembrist (1825): FAILED7. France July Revolution (1830): SUCCESSFUL8. Belgium (1830-1839): SUCCESSFUL9. Poland (1830-1831): FAILED10. Italy part 2 (1831-1832): FAILED
I. EnglandA. Tories (conservative) in England in chargeB. Faced economic problems –reactionary
policies1. Corn Laws 1815• Halt import of cheap foreign grain• Aided Tory landholding aristocracy• Increased cost of bread• Drove poor to protest
2. Coercion Acts of 1817• Suspended habeas corpus• Arbitrary arrest & punishment• Curtailed freedom of press & public mass meetings
C. Peterloo Massacre (1819)1. Crowds gather to hear about reforms re: Corn Laws, etc2. Police broke up meeting & killed 18 or so; 700 injuries– http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1819Peterloo.asp
D. Six Acts of Parliament (1819)1. Responded to Peterloo2. Repressive measures3. New authority to repress liberalist radicals
E. Cato Street Conspiracy (1820)1. Extremists plotted to blow up British Cabinet2. Got caught3. Provided further reasons for Tory suppression of
Liberals4. Discredited Parliamentary reformers
F. Younger Tories1. England well on its way to Authoritarian Regime2. Younger generation of Tories less extreme
conservative3. In time, English tradition of freedoms such as habeas
corpus resurfaced
II. FranceA. Restoration of Bourbons: Louis XVIII 1814/15-
1824)1. Constitutional Monarchy2. Followed the “Charter” • Royal power limited• Legislative powers in Bicameral Congress• Civil Rights protected• Code Napoleon upheld
B. Divided France1. Liberal (Fr Rev’l)2. Conservative (anti-Fr Rev’l)3. Ultraroyalists (Old Order)
1. Led by Count Artois – brother of the king
C. “White Terror” (1815)1. Royalist mobs2. Murdered thousands of former revolutionaries
D. Assassination of Duke of Berri (son of Artois)sparked conservative reaction – king’s liberal policies blamed
E. King become more conservative1. Electoral Laws restrict electorate to wealthy2. Censorship imposed3. Liberals driven out of legal life
F. 1823: Concert granted France permission to crush Spanish uprising & restore another Bourbon (Ferdinand VII)
G. Charles X (1824-1830)1. Conservative: Divine Right2. Supported by Ultraroyalists3. Gave compensation to Aristocracy that lost land in Fr
Rev’l4. 1830 he dissolved the legislature
H. July Revolution (1830)1. Reaction against conservative moves led to revolt2. Forced Charles X to abdicate
I. King Louis Philippe of Orleans (1830-1848)1. “Bourgeoisie King”2. Constitutional King3. France essentially led by
Bourgeoisie/bankers/businessJ. Uprising SUCCESSFUL!!! Spurred uprisings all
over Europe
III. German States: Prussia & Austria
A. German Confederation of 39 States1. Prussia & Austria had empires outside German
Confederation bordersB. German “Bund” dominated by Metternich
1. Bund is German diet – Austria is the President2. Goal: prevent liberal disorder or revolution
C. Prussia led by territorially aggressive Hohenzollern Dynasty1. Liberal reforms after fall of Napoleon made many think of Prussia as
having liberal leanings2. Liberal reforms meant to make Prussia more efficient: NOT meant as
portent to future liberal policies!3. Junkers followed Metternich’s lead & anti-liberal movements
D. Liberal agitation1. German Universities had liberal leanings
• Burschenschaften
2. Wartburg Festival (1817) students burned symbols of conservative authority
3. Russian agent wound up being killed by a member of the Burschenschaften
E. Karlsbad (Carlsbad) Diet and Decrees (1819)1. Cracked down on liberals2. Freedoms repressed3. Liberals driven underground4. http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Carlsbad_Decrees
F. July revolution in France encouraged a renewal of German Liberal Demonstrations: quickly repressed
G. Later factors effecting German States– Zollverein (started in 1834)• Customs union uniting German States into 1
economic unit• Austria refused to join
– Frankfurt Assembly (1848) – discussed laterH. Uprisings FAILED!
IV. RussiaA. Czar Alexander I (1810-1825)
A. Initially favored Enlightened Despotism• Torn between Enlightened ideas and Russian
AbsolutismB. Believed he was one to lead Europe into a new
age of benevolence and good will (no one else saw him as this!)
C. Effected by Metternich at the 1815 Congress of Vienna• Became very conservative
D. Initial Liberal Reforms: Speransky1. Advisor Michael Speransky help reconstruct Russia
after Napoleonic Era2. Admired reforms made by Napoleon3. Reforms alienated Aristocracy (Boyars)4. Speransky dismissed
E. Alexander I, after Congress of 1815, started to see the world in Biblical terms
1. Revolution & Napoleon was inspired by Satan2. Tried the Holy Alliance: Alliance based on Christian
Conservative Nations
F. New Advisor: General Arakcheiev1. Repression was the order of the day!2. No toleration of opposition or criticism of the
regime3. Early liberal tendencies were crushed
G. Czar Nicholas I (1825-1855)1. Most reactionary of Czars!2. “Orthodoxy, Autocracy, Nationality”3. Didn’t like serfdom, but did nothing about it
H. Decembrist Uprising (1825)1. Junior military officers and upper-class opponents of
autocracy supported grievances among Russian society
2. Decembrists revolted, but failed3. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/155016/Decembrist
I. Two camps developed:1. Slavophiles: believed Russian village (mir) was superior
to the Western world2. Westernizers: wanted to extend the “genius” pf
Russian culture by industrializing and setting up constitutional government
J. Uprising FAILED!
V. Other Revolts in EuropeA. Spanish Revolt (1820-1823)
1. King Ferdinand VII returned to power after Napoleon
2. He repressed liberals (very conservative)3. Mutiny of army troops forced king to sign a liberal
constitution4. King secretly asked for help from Concert of Euro5. France given permission to intervene 6. Ferdinand VII ruled as ruthless absolutist7. Uprising FAILED!
B. Italian Uprising part 1 (1820)1. Carbonari (Charcoal burners) led uprising against
king of Two Sicilies (Kingdom of Naples)2. King forced to sign liberal constitution3. Austria marched in troops and repressed revolt4. Uprising FAILED!
C. Italian Uprising part 2 (1831-1832)1. Inspired by French July Revolution2. Attempt to unify North Italy3. Austria intervenes and stops uprising4. As a result, Young Italy is formed
1. Secret nationalist society 2. Led by Mazzini
5. Uprising FAILED!!!
D. The Eastern Question: Greek Revolt (1821-1830)
1. Greeks revolt against Ottoman Turk rule2. Egypt aided Turkey3. Europeans sided with Greece (Greece was, after all,
the Classical foundation of Europe)4. Russian, British, and French Navy defeated Turks at
the Battle of Navarino in 18275. Treaty of Adrianople signed in 18296. Full Greek independence recognized in 18307. Uprising SUCCESSFUL!
E. Belgium Uprising (1830-1839)1. Belgium placed under control of
Netherlands/Holland at Congress of Vienna2. Belgians declare independence from Holland3. Dutch (Holland) sent in army in 18314. France and Britain send in troops that forced Dutch
to retreat5. Belium declares independence and is supported by
Britain, France, Prussia, Russia, and Austria6. Dutch do not recognize Belgian independence until
18397. Uprising SUCCESSFUL!!!
F. Poland uprising (1830-1831)1. Nationalist groups revolt against Russian
domination because rumor had it that Czar Nicholas I was going to force Polish troops to get involved in France and Belgium
2. Russian troops forced out and Poland set up revolutionary government
3. Russia invaded in 1831 and defeated Polish troops4. Attempt to “Russify” Poland5. Uprising FAILED!!!
Chronology of Uprisings1. German Confederation Wartburg Festival &
Burschenschaften (1817-1819): FAILED2. England Peterloo Massacre (1819): FAILED3. Spain (1820-1823): FAILED4. Italy part 1 (1820-1821): FAILED5. Greece (1821-1830): SUCCESSFUL6. Russian Decembrist (1825): FAILED7. France July Revolution (1830): SUCCESSFUL8. Belgium (1830-1839): SUCCESSFUL9. Poland (1830-1831): FAILED10. Italy part 2 (1831-1832): FAILED