Lecture Notes: European Nationalism in the 19th Century

The Symbol of the Statue of Liberty

• Represents freedom and basic rights.
• French artist Ritsu Raw's 'Universal Democratic and Social Republic':
  • Utopian vision with democratic and social republics.
  • Portrays people from various nations moving towards Statue of Liberty.
  • Depiction includes angels, saints, and Christ emphasizing fraternity.
  • Symbolic of the era of revolutions in 19th-century Europe.

19th-Century European Transitions

• Post-French Revolution effects:
  • Farmers, peasants questioning aristocracy and feudal system.
  • Rise of the middle class from industrialization.
• Desire for nation-states rooted in shared history and culture.
• French Revolution (1789):
  • Storming of Bastille as a protest.
  • Constitutional monarchy formation and reduction in royal privileges.

Impact of the French Revolution

• Promoted concepts of national identity and pride (nationalism).
• Revolutionaries' actions:
  • Adoption of a new national flag.
  • Composers creating nationalist hymns and songs.
  • Promotion of French as a common language.
  • Establishment of a uniform law system.
• Inspired movements against autocracy across Europe.

Napoleonic Era

• Napoleon Bonaparte's influence:
  • Introduced Napoleonic Code (1804):
    • Equality before law.
    • Right to property.
    • Abolished feudal privileges.
  • Implemented administrative changes and uniform system of weights and measures in Europe.
• Overreach and eventual downfall due to enforced high taxes and censorship.

Early 19th Century Europe

• Divided into small kingdoms without political unity.
• Rise of nationalism influenced by French Revolution principles.
• Dominance of the landed aristocracy and the rise of the middle class.
• Liberalism emergence from the middle class:
  • Roots in Latin word 'liber' meaning 'free'.
  • Advocated for freedom, equality before law, and representative government.
• Economic liberalism:
  • Supported free markets and trade.
  • Creation of the Zollverein (customs union) in Prussia to remove trade barriers.

Conservatism and Reactionary Trends

• Post-Napoleon (1815) conservatism:
  • Emphasis on tradition, established institutions, slow change.
  • Congress of Vienna aimed to restore pre-revolutionary order.
• Set up conservative regimes to curb liberal and nationalist influences.

Rise of Liberal and National Movements

• Secret societies formed to propagate liberal ideas (e.g., Giuseppe Mazzini).
• Greek War of Independence from the Ottoman Empire (1832).
• French Revolution of 1830 inspired unrest in Belgium.

Romanticism and Cultural Nationalism

• Romantic movement:
  • Focused on emotions, individualism, and national heritage.
  • Efforts to revive folk traditions (e.g., Grimm brothers' fairy tales).

Social and Economic Conditions

• Increased population led to unemployment and migration to cities.
• Industrialization caused competition against small producers.
• Various uprisings, such as the Silesian weavers' revolt (1845) and French peasants' uprising (1848).
• National Assembly's response: Universal male suffrage and employment workshops.

Revolutions and Unifications

• Revolts and uprisings (1830-1848).
• Frankfurt Parliament attempt to unify Germany (1848):
  • Dominated by middle class, eventually dissolved.
  • Middle class and working class demanded constitution.
• Pressure for coexistence between conservative monarchies and liberal nationalist revolutionaries post-1848.

Women in Revolutions

• Active but marginalized.
• Exclusion of women from full political rights (e.g., Frankfurt Parliament).
• Feminist activism by figures like Louise Otto Peters.

German and Italian Unification

• German unification:
  • Key figure: Otto von Bismarck.
  • Three wars leading to German unification (1864-1870).
  • Establishment of German Empire in 1871.
• Italian unification:
  • Leaders: Giuseppe Mazzini, victor emmanuel ii, Giuseppe Garibaldi.
  • Defeat of Austrians and Spanish rulers.
  • Declaration of united Italy (1861).

British Nation-Building Process

• Gradual development of nation-state, centered on England (post-1688).
• Imposition of British culture and political structure on Scotland and Ireland.
• Suppression of local cultures and languages (e.g., Gaelic language in Scotland).

Symbolism and National Identity

• Use of symbols to represent abstract concepts of nationalism.
• Popular and identifiable imagery (e.g., fall of Bastille).

Post-1871 Nationalism Changes

• European powers exploit nationalism for imperialism (e.g., Balkan region tension).
• Nationalism contributing to outbreak of WWI.

Conclusion

• Nationalism and independence movements influenced by French Revolution principles.
• Formation of nation-states inspired by collective unity and identity.
• Continued struggles and changes shaping Europe through liberal and nationalist movements.