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”