Transcript Impacts

The French Revolution
Impacts
OBJECTIVE(S):
• Describe how the
French Revolution
was a major turning
point in world
history
I. The Congress of Vienna
A. After the first defeat of
Napoleon, the leaders of
European countries wanted to
put things back to normal.
They held a series of meetings
in Vienna, Austria, starting in
1814, to decide how to do
this.
B. Austrian Prince Klemens
von Metternich hosted the
meetings. There were two
key ideas that Metternich
thought would help put
things back to the way they
were before the instability
of the French Revolution.
1. Balance of power
IMPORTANT CONCEPT:
Balance of Power
Balance of power is the idea
that if everyone is roughly
equal in power, they are
less likely to fight because
everyone wants to fight
wars that they think they
will win easy.
a. To try and keep peace, the
leaders attempted to create
a balance of power. This
idea says that if all countries
are roughly equal in power,
they are less likely to fight.
Countries usually fight wars
that they think they’ll win.
b. To create this balance,
the Congress weakened
France and strengthened
her neighbors.
1)
The leaders were also careful
to not treat France too
harshly so that it would seek
revenge, thereby causing
another war.
2)
This was the mistake
European leader made at the
end of World War I when
writing the Treaty of
Versailles, punishing Germany
for the war and creating a
desire for revenge. This
caused World War II.
2. Legitimacy and restoration
a. Because Napoleon had unseated so many
monarchs, deciding who should rule those
countries now that they were independent
again was a problem.
b. To make this decision, the leaders agreed to
the principal of legitimacy—that the right, or
legitimate, rulers should be the ones in
charge before Napoleon removed them from
power. Putting a ruler back on their throne
like this is called a restoration because they
are “restored” to their throne.
C. The leaders at the Congress
were all conservatives—
politicians that don’t like
change.
D. They opposed the liberal ideas
of the Enlightenment and
wanted to stop these ideas
from spreading any further and
causing revolutions.
2. Despite the Congress’
efforts, revolutions
broke out in European
colonies in Latin
America and in Europe
throughout the 1800’s.
2. Despite the Congress’ efforts, revolutions broke
out in Europe and in European colonies in Latin
America throughout the 1800’s.
a. Because of this, this time period is called the
Age of Revolutions.
b. In Latin America—particularly in Spain’s
colonies—the rulers were not able to
maintain control.
1) An unfair class system
called the encomienda
system was in place in
the Spanish colonies.
The Encomienda System in Spanish colonies
Peninsulares were born in Spain and
ruled the colonial government
Creoles were Spaniards born in Latin America
(their parents were peninsulares); they were
not allowed to have the best jobs
Mestizos were people with
a Spanish parent and a
Native American parent
Mulattoes had a Spanish parent
and an African slaves as parents
African slaves were imported to work the
Spaniards’ plantations
Native Americans were not useful to the Spanish due
to the effects of European disease.
2)
In this system, only peninsulares—
people born in Spain—were able
to have the top government job.
3)
The Creoles, people whose
parents were peninsulares—or
people born in Spain—were
unhappy with the system and
used the other classes to start a
revolution to get independence
from Spain.
4.
Revolutionary leaders in the Latin
American Revolutions included
Simon Bolivar—nicknamed the
Liberator because he fought for
independence for several Latin
American countries (including the
one named after him: Bolivia) and
Jose de San Martin.
c)
d)
In Europe, the rulers threatened by
these revolutions were able to put
down these rebellions and keep
power.
As a result, these revolutions were
unsuccessful in making any major
changes, but the liberal ideas of
the Enlightenment—natural rights,
a government responsive to
peoples’ needs, etc.—had come to
be expected by people.
D. The balance of power established
at the Congress of Vienna
prompted—or started—a period
of relative peace in Europe.
1. Although some minor conflicts
did erupt, most of the
European powers did not have
another war until 1914, when
World War I broke out.
2. The Congress of Vienna
is also an early example
of international
cooperation—an
attempt by countries to
settle their differences
without fighting a war.
III. Growth of nationalism.
A. The French Revolution helped
strengthen another new idea.
Nationalism is the belief that all
of the people of the same
nation—which means a groups of
people with a common culture,
language and history—should
live in their own country, being
ruled by themselves.
B. Nationalism was strengthened two
ways.
1. The first way was that the
Revolution created a nationalist
feeling within France, making the
people feel more unified.
2. The other has to do with
Napoleon.
a)
As he took over other European peoples,
Napoleon was at first welcomed as a
liberator because he freed them from the
harsh rule of absolute monarchs.
b)
As time went on, Napoleon’s rule caused
the conquered people to unify against
him as they began to believe that they
should rule themselves and not be
controlled by someone different from
them.
a. In Europe, the rulers threatened by
these revolutions were able to put
down these rebellions and keep
power.
b. As a result, these revolutions were
unsuccessful in making any major
changes, but the liberal ideas of the
Enlightenment—natural rights, a
government responsive to peoples’
needs, etc.—had come to be expected
by people.
IV. Growth of democracy.
A. While the change was not
immediate, the French
Revolution was an important
step toward European
countries ending absolute
monarchy and becoming more
democratic.
1.
After the Revolution and Napoleon,
despite the restoration of kings to their
thrones, European countries—with the
exception of Russia—became limited
monarchies (governments in which the
kings shares power with a legislature).
2.
As time went on, European countries
got away from having monarchs
altogether.
a.
They became representative
democracies—governments ruled
by representatives elected by the
people.
b.
For example, Kings were
replaced by Prime Ministers—
the title for the leader of many
European governments—who
are elected.