1. 
European History
Broad Historic Overview
Period: Age of Revolutions,
European Imperialism and Nationalism
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

2.  Early 19th
Century dominated by the aftermath of the French Revolution
 Prussia, Austria & Netherlands expanded by the peace settlement in 1815
while others such as Poland dissolved in the process of state consolidation
 Heightened sense of nationalism thanks to the spread of the Enlightenment
Ideas
 Social conflicts on the rise
 The commons vs. monarchs/autocrats
Age of Revolutions
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

3.  Important economic shift precipitates conflicts of the 19th
Century
 Growing industrial base encourages urbanization
 New agrarian technologies, few workers greater output
 Industrial revolutions in Britain, Prussia and Netherlands in the late
18th
Century
 France, Italy and USA in the 19th
Century
 Russia and Austria fails to industrialize
Industrial Revolution
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

4.  First evidence of industrial production found in large cities of early
modern Europe
 Specialization of trade and production in specialist workshops
 Tradesmen employ larger team of workers
 Paid employment of labor in industrial enterprise
 “Putting Out” and “Cottage Industry”
 Cost of transporting goods overland still expensive in the early 18th
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke
Industrial Revolution

5.  Age of Industry begins slowly in 1780s
 Western Europe advances faster as Britain leads the way
 Industrial process a bit slow till 1850s due to continuing old
methods of labor and population increase
 1815 in continental Europe and 1850 in Britain
 By 1830th
Britain’s industrialization twice the level of France and
by 1860th
triple
 Industrialization of rest of Europe slowed by political & social
turmoil and constant warfare
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke
Industrial Revolution

6.  Limits due to lack of transportation, reluctance to let go of
traditional business practices and lack of technology
 Stephenson’s rocket
 Population increases rapidly across Europe
 Steam engine invented & improved: mechanization of industry
 In 1815 Europe’s industrial pace progresses
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke
Industrial Revolution

7.  Large skilled labor force
 Strong governments
 Britain: leader to follow during the industrialization
 Europe’s Gov’ts building infrastructure of railroads and canals
 Zollverein: customs-free union between German states
 Gov’ts play role in banking: banks allowed to become corporations
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke
Industrial Revolution

8.  1851: Britain – the workshop of the world
 2/3 of world’s coal supply and ½ of its iron
 Belgium, France and Germany industrial centers of Europe
 Pessimistic views towards the industrialization due to poor
crowded city conditions and impoverished workers
 Thomas Malthus and David Ricardo’s predictions of “great
hunger” (massive food shortage) and “low wages”
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke
Industrial Revolution

9.  Poor urban living conditions with no sanitation
 Urban and Industrial growth beyond state’s control
 Public drunkenness
 Short life expectancy, Disease: rampant
 New social classes emerge
 Decreasing life standard, low wage, high prices
 Horrible working conditions and employment of children
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke
Industrial Revolution

10.  British working class responses to industrialization
 The Luddites opposed to effects of mechanization, esp. textiles
 Large scale spinning and weaving machines harm the traditional
cottage industry
 1811 attacks on Factories machinery and owners
 Swing Rioters opposed to mechanization of agriculture in 1830s
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke
Industrial Revolution

11.  The Luddites: part of reactive movement against the modernization of
the methods of production
 An alternative or more proactive movement was the Trade Unions
movement
 Collective bargaining and threat of strikes
 Breaking of contract considered a criminal offense, striking workers
charged for conspiracy and breach of public order
 Legal Recognition of Unions achieved
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke
Industrial Revolution

12.  Chartism: first large-scale working class political movement
 London Working Men’s Association charter:
1. Universal male suffrage
2. Annual Election of the House of Commons
3. Secret Ballots
4. Equal electoral districts
5. Abolition of property requirements for the House of Commons
6. Salaries of Members of the House of Commons
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke
Industrial Revolution

13.  Capitalism: “Capital” – medium of exchange for property or
services of value and “laissez-faire” principle of minimal gov’t
intervention
 Republicanism: Liberty, fraternity, equality, constitutions,
parliament, democracies. Opposes monarchy, aristocracy &
church.
 Liberalism: free trade, laissez-faire, constitutions, parliaments
and non-violence. Constitutional monarchy rather than
democracy.
New Ideologies of the 1800s
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

14.  Conservatism: a reactive ideology against the liberal ideas spread
with violence, terror and social disorder. Order of the Society and
State based on faith and tradition. Opposes the Enlightenment, anti-
revolution, anti-democracy and anti-nationalism. Advocates of
tradition, gradual reform and Old Regime
 Socialism: System of social organization in which the means of
production and distribution of goods are owned by a central
authority. Opposes liberalism. Protect the workers not the capitalists.
Henri de Saint Simon, Charles Fourier, Robert Owen, Karl Marx.
New Ideologies of the 1800s
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

15.  Utilitarianism: the Best Form of Government does the most
good for the greatest number of people
 Nationalism: pride on language, tradition, culture and religion.
Folktales, Poems, songs, grammar, dictionaries as sources of the
traditional culture of a nation. Germany, Italy, Ireland, Poland
and Hungary.
New Ideologies of the 1800s
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

16.  Corn Laws: taxes placed on imported goods
 More expensive, lower quality British grain
 Keep British money in Britain rather in France
 Corn Laws passed by the Tories.
 Whigs: working class, merchants, factory owners. Opposed to the
Laws.
 Peterloo Massacre in 1819: 80,000 people gather in Manchester.
 Anti-Corn League established and in 1846 Corn Laws repealed.
British Corn Laws
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

17.  Till 1848: idealism and reason prevail
 As of 1848: Realpolitik and action arises.
 Rejects the high-minded ideologies for actions and ends the
Enlightenment
 Right wing: Otto von Bismarck in Germany. Alters the “Ems
Telegram” to spur war with France. Napoleon III widens the streets
of Paris. Italy’s Cavour gets Napoleon III to attack Austria.
 Left wing: Marx advocates violent revolution of the proletariat to
install a communist system.
The Era of Realpolitik
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

18.  1870 to 1914: Europe considerably more stable than previous
decades
 Formation of new states in Germany and Italy
 Political Reformations in older states such as Britain and Austria
 Internal stability coupled with technological advances promotes
political power and will pursued outside Europe
 Imperialism not a new concept
 Spain, Portugal and Netherlands: large overseas empires result of the
age of exploration
European Imperialism and
Nationalism
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

19.  New technologies of the 19th
Century encouraged imperial growth
 Quinine: contest of inland Africa
 Telegraph: monitoring imperial possessions.
 States of Europe take control of large territories in Africa and Asia
thus heralding the new Era of Imperialism
European Imperialism and
Nationalism
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

20.  After France’s defeat in Franco-Prussian War, Bismark requires elections to
negotiate peace
 Provisional Gov’t elections: Monarchists elected.
 Paris forms own government, 40 member council’s “commune”
 Commune establishes equality for all citizens, promotion of women’s rights and
communal workshops
 French provisional governemtn sends troops to Paris
 Commune’s members kill the Archbishop, 20000 Parisians killed
 1871-1940: the 3rd
Republic of France: ceremonial president and a two-chamber
Parliament with universal male suffrage
European Imperialism and
Nationalism
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

21.  The idea of German State existed since the early middle ages.
 The Kingdom of Germany succeeded by the Holy Roman Empire
 Power of the central states declines till its abolition in 1806
 1815 German territory divides into 40 small states
 Popular Nationalism sparked by Napoleonic invasion in 1806
 People wish to escape influence of foreign autocrats (France and
Austria Emperors) and build their own state
European Imperialism and
Nationalism
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

22.  Unification of Germany not solely due to nationalism
 German rulers understand that there is strength in working together
 Inter-state cooperation across the German Heartland: Zollverein
 Nationalistic and economic factors exploited by the conservative
king of Prussia and his chief Minister, Otto von Bismarck.
 Vision of unified German state that excludes Austrian influence in
particular
European Imperialism and
Nationalism
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

23.  Italy: a patchwork of small states throughout the middle ages and
early modern period
 Urbanization and geographical location meant political importance
 Dominate by foreign powers for much of this period, esp. the
Bourbon Dynasty that placed Kings for France and Spain
 This dominance brought to end by Napoleonic wars
 Monarchies of France and Spain weakened by the prolonged war
European Imperialism and
Nationalism
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

24.  Napoleon attempted to conglomerate Italy into single state
 Process that encouraged sense in Italians to belong to a nation
 National Flag: the green, white and red tricolore
 Although the Treaty of Vienna restored many Italian states,
nationalistic feeling remained
 Nationalistic and revolutionary groups against the autocrats of the
ruing Italian states
 Frequent insurrections, however, small and easily dealt with by
rulers in Italy
European Imperialism and
Nationalism
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

25.  Italian Unification led by Count Camillo Benso di Cavour (ideology)
and Guiseppe Garibaldi (the action)
 Cavour builds a strong army, healthy economy and political
freedoms in Piedmont-Sardinia
 Garibaldi leads the Red Shirts or guerilla fighters in southern Italy
 Cavour sends troops to stop Garibaldi from invading Rome
 Become allies in Naples
 1861 the Kingdom of Italy declared, however, unification completes
only in 1871 (with the end of Franco-Prussian war)
European Imperialism and
Nationalism
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

26.  Russia, late 1800s, strives to increase power and westernize
 Militarily the state was weaker than other nations
 Autocratic Czar and serfdom
 Small middle class and no industrialization
 Nicholas I rules using police action and use of army
 Alexander II, using the defeat in Crimea (1853-1856), follows the
European model to become more powerful
European Imperialism and
Nationalism
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

27.  In 1861, serfs were given freedom
 Nevertheless, serfs were still bound to their formal feudal dues and
had to pay a redemption fee to their former lords
 Alexander II ended Nicholas I’s secret police and created public
trials and juries
 Zemstvos: local provincials councils elected by people that dealt
with local governmental issues
European Imperialism and
Nationalism
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

28.  Despite this, unrest persisted. Peasant Revolutionaries resented the
redemption fees
 Nihilists: believe in science, reject traditional society and culture
 Anarchists: set to destroy any government
 “People’s Will” assassinates Alexander II
European Imperialism and
Nationalism
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

29. International Relations and Imperialism
 Herbert Spencer’s social Darwinism
 Europeans “most fit” due to technological advancements, education,
governmental systems etc.
 The concept of “white man’s burden” arises
 Ideas and Institutions imposed forcefully
European Imperialism and
Nationalism
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

30.  European Industrialization leads to increased need for resources
 High level of Nationalism fosters desire for more troops
 Colonies needed to provide troops, naval bases and refueling points
 Late 1800s, number of European countries possessed new colonies
 Belgium: Congo in central Africa
 France: Algeria
 Italy: Somalia
European Imperialism and
Nationalism
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

31.  “The sun never sets on the British Empire”
 Britain expanded to include Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa
 British, Dutch and French established colonies in Asia
European Imperialism and
Nationalism
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

32. Crimean War
 Roots in the so-called “Eastern Question”
 Crimean war initiated by Nicholas I pressure on the Ottoman
Empire and Russia’s claim for the protection of the Orthodox
Christians under the Ottoman rule
 Britan and France get involved to prevent Russia from expanding,
taking control over the Turkish Straits & Eastern Mediterranean,
and upsetting the European balance of power
European Imperialism and
Nationalism
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

33.  The first “modern” war
 1st
time railroads were used to transport troops and goods
 1st
time steam powered ships were used
 New weapons and techniques, artillery and deployment of trenches
 Telegraph allowed for the 1st
Live war to be broadcast
European Imperialism and
Nationalism
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

34.  Conflict marked the end of the Concert of Europe
 Russia was defeated looked week
 Alexander II enacts internal reforms
 Industrialization and modernization
 Ottoman Empire kept intact till WWI
European Imperialism and
Nationalism
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke

35. Thank you for your attention
European Imperialism and
Nationalism
POLS 208 European Studies
European University of Lefke