French Revolution: Liberalism and Nationalism

• The French Revolution occurred from 1789-1799
• This summary covers the effects of the revolution

Influence of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Era

• Rise and spread of liberalism occurred
• Rise and spread of nationalism occurred
• Rise of revolutionary tide in Europe occurred
• Rise of revolutionary tide in the Americas occurred
• Unification of Italy occurred
• Unification of Germany occurred

Rise and spread of Liberalism

• Liberalism is the idea that individuals in society should be equal and free, possessing certain rights
• Advocates of liberalism were typically the middle class, who were wealthy and educated
• The 3rd Estate before the French Revolution is an example of this

Events Showing Liberalism in France

• 1788: Period of social instability, including famines
• Early 1789: Calling of the Estates-General
• May 1789: Setup of the National Assembly
• June 1789: Tennis Court Oath
• July 1789: Fall of the Bastille
• August 1789: Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
• September 1791: Constitutional monarchy
• April 1792: Louis XVI escaped and French Revolutionary Wars began
• September 1792 Establishment of the French Republic
• 1793: Reign of Terror
• 1794-1795: Rule of Directory
• 1799 Napoleon gained power and established absolute rule
• 1801 The end of French Revolutionary Wars
• The slogan of the French Revolution was: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity
• Code Napoleon secured liberty and equality as stated in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
• Napoleon stated that the French people needed equality more than liberty

Liberalism in Europe

• Napoleon conquered many countries and introduced liberal reforms
• Initially, Napoleon granted civil rights to conquered territories such as German and Italian states
• He transitioned to authoritarian rule over conquered places
• Liberalism was not present in France itself, but was spread to other parts of Europe

Rise and spread of Nationalism

• Nationalism involves people doing everything they can to:
• Establish their nations for people with a common history, religion, language, customs, etc.
• Glorify their nations and do everything for their greatness if they already have one

Events Showing Nationalism in France

• 1788: Period of social instability, including famines
• Early 1789: Calling of the Estates-General
• May 1789: Setup of the National Assembly
• June 1789: Tennis Court Oath
• July 1789: Fall of the Bastille
• August 1789: Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
• September 1791: Constitutional monarchy
• April 1792: Louis XVI escaped and French Revolutionary Wars began
• September 1792 Establishment of the French Republic
• 1793: Reign of Terror
• 1794-1795: Rule of Directory
• 1799 Napoleon gained power and established absolute rule
• 1801 The end of French Revolutionary Wars
• Napoleon won many wars, gave land to people, provided education, organized laws (Code Napoleon), and introduced a fair tax system, leading people to admire France
• Napoleon led France to victory in the French Revolutionary Wars, which protected France
• After becoming emperor, Napoleon expanded French territories and brought France glories through conquering many countries
• The French felt sad when Napoleon fell in 1815

Nationalism in Europe

• Napoleon conquered many countries and applied authoritarian rules, which angered people and made them determined to overthrow him and set up their own nations
• Germans united themselves and founded a unified Germany by 1871
• Italian unification also occurred by 1871
• Nationalism did not appear in France itself, but was spread to other parts of Europe
• Nationalism and liberalism can be shown in the same event

Increase in Revolutionary Tide in Europe

• The French Revolution promoted liberty and equality
• The Napoleonic Era expanded the territories of the French Empire and spread nationalism and liberalism
• The political and social order of Europe was changed which angered the rulers who adopted monarchial rule

Congress of Vienna

• The Congress of Vienna took place from 1814-1815
• European leaders held it, dominated by Austria, Prussia, Russia, and Britain
• Its aim was to restore the old order of Europe, prevent French expansion, and stop the spread of liberalism and nationalism

Actions after the congress

• European leaders restored the old dynasties that had been overthrown during the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars

• The map of Europe was redrawn

• Russia, Prussia, and Austria formed the Holy Alliance to maintain absolute rule and suppress revolutions

• People were again under absolute rule or divided and placed under foreign control, leading to anger

• Examples of revolutions occurred in Italy, Poland, and the German states, but they were all suppressed

• Most of the revolutions failed

• Revolutions forced rulers to make concessions, such as constitutional rule or granting people freedom

Increase in Revolutionary Tide in the Americas

• Liberalism and nationalism spread to the Americas
• Spain, France, Britain, etc. colonized the Americas starting in the 15th century
• In the 19th century, a series of independence movements broke out in Central and South America
• These movements aimed to get rid of the colonial empires' absolute rule and set up nation-states

Unification of Italy (1870)

• The spread of nationalism occurred
• Italian nationalists wanted to unite people with the same nationality, fostering unification and becoming a country
• Italy was unified in 1870 under the leadership of the Kingdom of Sardinia

Unification of Germany

• The spread of nationalism drove the country
• German nationalists wanted to unite people with the same nationality, fostering unification and becoming a country
• Germany was unified in 1871 under the leadership of Prussia