Unit 8

• The Congress of Vienna aimed to keep the peace and restore the old monarchs of Europe
• The Congress of Vienna was attended by statesmen such as Lord Castlereagh, Duke of Wellington, Emperor Francis I, Chancellor Metternich, Frederick William III, Count Hardenberg, Czar Alexander I, and Prince Talleyrand
• Agreements reached at the Congress of Vienna included:

  • Bringing France's frontiers back to those of 1790
  • France accepting an allied army of occupation until paying a war indemnity
  • Creation of buffer states around France
  • Restoration of old rulers' lost lands during the French Revolution and Napoleon
  • Establishment of a balance of power between Great Powers
  • Agreement on the Concert of Europe to discuss and solve future international questions
  • Aim to re-establish peace and stability in a conservative and monarchical Europe
• Criticism of the Vienna Settlement included ignoring nationalism and liberalism, leading to the Revolutions of 1830 and 1848
• In the War for Greek Independence (1821-1830):

  • Greek patriots formed the Hetarie Philike to free Greece from Turkish rule
  • Greeks initially successful due to distance from Constantinople and Turkish distractions
  • Intervention by Mehmet Ali of Egypt shifted the balance in favor of the Turks
  • European liberals and nationalists supported the Greek cause, leading to intervention by Britain, France, and Russia
  • Battle of Navarino in 1827 resulted in Greek independence guaranteed by the Great Powers
• The Polish Revolt of 1830:

  • Poland's history of partitions by Prussia, Russia, and Austria
  • Czar Nicholas I's reversal of liberal policies led to the Polish Revolt
  • The revolt lacked popular support and was crushed by Russian forces
  • Heavy reprisals against Polish patriots, leading to the abolition of the 1815 Constitution and Russian control over Poland
• The success of the Greek Revolt during its first years was due to the support of the Great Powers
• The Great Powers intervened to help the Greeks in their revolt due to humanitarian reasons and to prevent the spread of revolution
• Russia was keen on helping the Greeks due to religious and political interests
• The Ottoman Sultan agreed to grant independence to Greece due to pressure from the Great Powers
• Poland was partitioned between the Great Powers to prevent the rise of a powerful Polish state
• Czar Alexander ruled over Poland with an iron fist, suppressing any dissent
• Czar Nicholas easily suppressed the Polish Revolt due to a strong military presence and lack of international support for the Poles
• Long-term consequences of the failure of the 1830 revolt upon the Poles included increased oppression, loss of autonomy, and a setback in their quest for independence
• The Belgian Revolt of 1830 started due to growing opposition against union with Holland
• The Belgian revolt was directed against King William I of Holland
• The Belgian revolt lasted for a short period before Belgium declared independence
• The Belgians were helped in the revolt by France and Britain
• King William I of the Netherlands helped bring about the Belgian revolt through his refusal to end direct rule by the King from the Netherlands
• Differences between the Belgians and the Dutch in 1830 included religious, language, economic, and political differences
• The source about the Belgian Revolution is primary as it provides firsthand information about the events
• The Belgian Revolution started in Brussels, was directed against King William I, lasted a short period, and resulted in Belgian independence
• Napoleon's Hundred Days ended with the Battle of Waterloo in March-June 1815
• The Second Bourbon Restoration with Louis XVIII and Charles X followed
• The July Revolution of 1830 led to the Orleans Monarchy of Louis Philippe
• The 1848 Revolution resulted in the 2nd Republic with Louis Napoleon Bonaparte as President
• The Second French Empire was established with Napoleon III as Emperor from 1852-1870
• The 3rd French Republic followed from 1870-1940
• Results of the July Revolution of 1830:

  • After three days of street fighting, the people took control of Paris and Charles X fled to England
  • The Chamber of Deputies elected Charles's cousin, Louis Philippe of Bourbon-Orleans as 'King of the French'
  • Louis Philippe accepted a new Charter of 1830, which limited the King's power and increased voters to 200,000
• The July Monarchy of Louis Philippe (1830-1848):

  • Initially brought economic stability and prosperity during the Industrial Revolution
  • Economic recession in the 1840s led to opposition from republicans, socialists, and Bonapartists
  • Socialist leaders like Louis Blanc and Auguste Blanqui advocated for social and political reforms
• Revolution of 1848 and the Second Republic:

  • Chief Minister Guizot's decision to stop the Paris Reform Banquet triggered the revolution
  • Louis Philippe fled, and France was declared a Republic with a new constitution granting voting rights
  • Louis Napoleon Bonaparte won the presidential election and later proclaimed himself Emperor as Napoleon III
• The Austrian Empire (1815-1848):

  • Collection of states belonging to the Habsburg dynasty
  • Ruled as absolute monarchs with centralized authority and repression under Metternich's 'Metternich System'
  • Revolution in Paris inspired a mass anti-Metternich demonstration in Vienna
• Gains of the 1848-49 Revolutions in the Austrian Empire:

  • Serious revolutions in Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Milan, and Venice
  • Vienna demanded a constitution, leading to Metternich's resignation
  • Hungary, Bohemia, and other regions achieved autonomy and success initially
• Turn of the tide: the failure of the revolution in the Austrian Empire:

  • Emperor's escape from Vienna and establishment of a Provisional Liberal Government
  • Military dictatorship established in Prague and defeat of revolutionaries in Italy
  • Emperor enlisted help of Croats against Hungarians, leading to the failure of the revolution
• The Imperial Government sent troops from Innsbruck to march against Vienna and help Jellacic in his attack against Kossuth in Budapest
• This order produced another revolt in Vienna
• Imperial armies under Jellacic and Windeschgratz occupied Vienna and crushed the revolution there
• In December 1848, Emperor Ferdinand abdicated in favor of his 18-year-old nephew Francis Joseph
• In April 1849, Austrian delegates were withdrawn from the Frankfurt Parliament
• Early in 1849, the radical faction of the revolutionaries, led by Kossuth, took control of the Hungarian Diet