Chapter 35 Europe in Ideological Conflict

1
Chapter 35Europe in Ideological Conflict
2
Liberalism in Politics, Economics

• Dual revolution in politics, economics
• Two revolutions fused
• 1790s French first socialist ideas effort
  to push government to address social welfare
• Political revolutions had been run by middle
  class
• Realized they couldnt stay in power without
  working class support
• Some radical middle class led struggle partners
  with working class
• Middle and upper class reformers
• Formed reform party to change traditional
  politics
• Liberal agenda retained only in France, England

3
Free Enterprise and Liberalism

• Adam Smith
• Laissez faire
• Free trade
• Less government, the better
• Manchester liberalism
• Gave employers excuse to exploit workers, poor
• Said poor will always be poor, wealthy had to
  protect their advantages
• Reform Act of 1832 government not sympathetic
  to idea of protection of lower classes

4
Moderate Conservativism

• All conservatives believed certain things
• Necessity of official religion
• Support constitution, but not political democracy
• There will always be differences in talent and
  privilege
• Moderate conservativism supported widely
• Clergy, enlightened nobility were leaders
• Generally favored government control of trade,
  industry

5
Reactive Conservativism

• In Prussia, Austria, Russia, led to explosive
  pressures
• Ruled for generation in Austria, Prussia
• Russia
• Nicholas I was extreme reactionary
• Called the Gendarme of Europe ready to put down
  liberal agitation anywhere

6
Nationalism

• Popular nationalist feelings were another source
  of conflict
• Nationalism and liberalism went well together,
  but conservatives usually split over issue of
  nationalism
• Generally benign at first positive, tolerant
• In 1840s lost tolerant mood, became us vs.
  them, sense of cultural superiority
• Became excuse for many wars

7
Pre-Marxist Socialism

• Early utopian socialist goals
• Planned economy
• Greater equality
• State ownership of income-producing property
• Saint-Simon
• Believed industrial society could be fairest,
  most productive
• Government should look out for less fortunate
• Fourier and Proudhon
• Fourier forerunner of feminist equality
• Proudhon was anarchist government should be
  destroyed, was at best a barely tolerable evil
  controlled by wealthy
• Robert Owen
• Gave his wealth, power to workers
• Created profitable business that provided well
  for workers
• Socialism was just theory, not taken seriously

8
France to 1848

• Louis Philippe, the Citizen King
• Moderately liberal constitution
• Sovereignty rested with people, not throne
• July Monarchy major step for economic,
  political liberalism
• But social tensions were building

9
Great Britain to 1848

• Increasing influence of mercantile, manufacturing
  classes
• Conservative Tories, liberal Whigs
• Reform Act of 1832 took advantage away from
  landholder, gave more power to urban middle
  classes
• Parliament became more representative
• Danger of revolution lessened people had more
  political voice

10
Reactionary States Austria, Russia, Prussia

• Rulers tried to squelch liberalism censorship,
  police force, diplomacy, even war
• Revolt seemed to be only way to modernize
  politics, economics
• Austria had special problem of being so
  ethnically diverse

11
Revolts of 1848

• Widespread revolts
• Lower class unrest plus nationalism
• Only Britain, Russia were spared
• No single cause or same outcome
• Some similarities
• Initially led by middle class
• Workers became disappointed with leadership,
  created own, more violent revolts
• National division contributed to failure of
  revolts
• Two phases
• Initial phase revolts seemed to be on verge of
  success
• Second phase liberals backed off, revolts
  defeated

12
Consequences of Revolutions of 1848

• Conservatives defeated middle, lower class goals
• France Second Republic saw most goals met for
  liberals, but not workers
• Prussia Frankfurt Assembly failed
• Austria crushed independence movements,
  returned to royal absolutism
• Italy liberals wanted independence led by
  Sardinia-Piedmont, but failed
• Revolts accomplished very little at the time, but
  within a few years, most goals had been met

13
Discussion Questions

• Today, American politics are sharply divided
  between liberals and conservatives. What
  similarities and differences do you see between
  modern liberalism and 19th century liberalism?
  Between modern conservativism and 19th century
  conservativism? Had you lived in the 19th
  century, would you have been a liberal or a
  conservative? Why?
• History tends to remember successes more than
  failures. The Revolutions of 1848 basically
  failed, yet they are included in every world
  history textbook. Why? What was so important
  about these revolutions, considering that they
  failed? What lessons can be learned from that
  explosion of revolutions and from their
  subsequent failure?