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Ideologies and Upheavals:
Europe in the “Age of
Metternich”1815-1850
Europe After Napoleon Congress of Vienna – Legitimacy,
Compensation, “Balance of Power”
Enforced through Congress System and Holy Alliance (mostly E.E.)
Main goals: Promote Conservatism (autocratic
monarchies, rights of aristocracy) Resist Liberalism (French Revolution) Resist Nationalism (threat to existing
order)
CONSERVATISM Desired to preserve the “old
order” Believed in order, society, faith,
and tradition Reaction to Liberalism of American
& French Revolution Supported by aristocracy and
peasants Edmund Burke – Reflections on the
Revolution in France – defended old order against tumult of revolutions
CONSERVATISM Best exemplified by
Metternich – “Age of Metternich”
Concerned with multi-ethnic character of Austrian Empire
Feared nationalism and liberalism would tear Hapsburg Empire apart
Carlsbad Decrees (1819) for German Confederation
LIBERALISM Desired to promote individual
freedom and well-being – “Classical liberalism”
Reformers, not revolutionaries – supported by middle class
Believed in natural rights (Locke), guaranteed by written constitutions (Dec. of Ind., Dec. of Rights of Man)
Advocated laissez-faire capitalism (Smith) – individual choice (“invisible hand” of the market) – opposed unions
LIBERALISM Wanted representative
governments, but NOT democracy Wanted to keep vote in hands of
landowners, businessmen, middle class – keep workers, peasants, and lower middle classes from voting
Not as radical as democrats and republicans, but could work together to oppose conservatism
LIBERALISM Utilitarianism – the
utility of any law or institution should be “the greatest good for the greatest number of people” – Jeremy Bentham, British philosopher/reformer
John Stuart Mill – On Liberty (1859) – argued for “absolute freedom of opinion”, against government tyranny and censorship
NATIONALISM Desired to turn cultural unity into
self-government Believed common language,
history, and traditions would bring about unity
Supported by liberals, especially radical democrats
Grew out of resistance to Napoleon Threat to multi-ethnic empires like
Austria, Russia, and Ottoman Empire
Force of unity for divided German and Italian states
NATIONALISM Johann Gottfried Herder –
“father of modern nationalism”
Volksgeist – “national spirit” - distinct national character of a people
All nations should be sovereign and contain all members of the same nationality – all nations equal, none superior
Johann Gottlieb Fichte – “father of German nationalism”
“Address to the German Nation” (1808) – encouraged German patriotism, anti-Semitism
SOCIALISM Desired to reorganize society to
establish sense of cooperation and community
Believed liberalism and capitalism promoted selfishness and fragmentation of society
Wanted system of greater economic equality, planned by government (anti-laissez faire)
Supported mostly by working class Origins in France
UTOPIAN SOCIALISM Count Henri de Saint-Simon
– Industrialization and science would lead to ‘golden age’ for Europe
“Parasites” give way to the “doers” to improve society – benefits to all, especially the poor
Charles Fourier – wanted planned economy and socialist communities – highly mathematical
Early proponent of women’s rights
UTOPIAN SOCIALISM Louis Blanc – urged workers
to fight for rights by peacefully taking control of government
Government should ensure full employment through workshops and factories
Pierre Joseph Proudhon – What is Property? (1840)
Property was profit stolen from worker, the source of all wealth (idea later used by Marx)
Feared power of state – often considered an anarchist
MARXISM “Scientific Socialism” – had
a profound impact on Europe in 19th and 20th centuries
Developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels – The Communist Manifesto (1848) – blueprint for militant working class success
Based on: Economic interpretation of
history – mostly who controls means of production
Class struggle between rich and poor
Labor is true value of a product – stolen by capitalists
MARXISM Atheistic philosophy Felt socialism was
inevitable course of history
Believed proletariat would rise up and overthrow bourgeoisie
Create a “dictatorship of the proletariat” - a classless society and an end to capitalism
“From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs”