Ideologies and Upheavals (Ch. 22)

Introduction

1815 brought what Eric Hobsbawm called the dual revolution to Europe. 1815 was a time of economic and political changes that tended to fuse and reinforce each other as time went on. The growth of the industrial middle class was encouraging the drive for representative government, and the demands of the French sans-culottes in 1793 and 1794, inspiring many socialist thinkers. The dual revolution also posed a great intellectual challenge. Nobody knew the way that economic, political, and social changes were taking place, and the way that they would be shaped by human action. Uncertainty was expressed through the art, music, and literature of the Romantic Movement, and the new ideas of liberalism, nationalism, and socialism emerged as new ideas in politics. All played critical roles in the political and social battles of the era and the great popular upheaval that eventually swept across Europe in the revolutions of 1848.

EQ: What were the characteristics of the Romantic Movement, and who were some of the great romantic artists?

Answer: The Romantic Movement was characterized by a belief in ideas such as self-expression, imagination, and spontaneity in art as well as personal life. Some of the great Romantic artists were writers, Wordsworth, Hugo, and Pushkin as well as women, Germaine de Staël and Amandine Dupin (known by her pen name, George Sand). Other artists included Turner, Constable, and Delacroix. Some famous romantic musicians were Beethoven, Liszt, and Chopin.

3 Historical People

Klemems von Metternich
Metternich was the leading figure in European government up until 1848. As political master of the Austrian Empire, he was the architect of the holy alliance system among the European powers after Napoleon's defeat. Metternich’s Austria was a member of the Great Powers, and the Quadruple Alliance, through which the Congress of Vienna took place.

Louis Blanc
Blanc, a sharp-eyed, intelligent journalist, focused on practical improvements. In his Organization of Work (1839), he urged workers to agitate for universal voting rights and to take control of the state peacefully. Blanc believed that the state should set up government-backed workshops and factories to guarantee full employment. The right to work had to become as sacred as any other right.

William Wordsworth
Known as a towering leader of English Romanticism, Wordsworth was deeply influenced by Rousseau and the spirit of the early French Revolution. In 1798, Wordsworth, along with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, published their Lyrical Ballads. One of the best examples of Wordsworth's Romantic genius was his poem, "Daffodils." Today, Wordsworth is by far known as one of the most famous romantic poets of all time.

Events in the United States

The War of 1812
In 1812, the Americans declared war on the British Empire due to trade restrictions, British support of the American Indian tribes, and many other circumstances. In 1813, the Americans gained control over Lake Erie, and were able to gain parts of Western Ontario and destroy the American Indian’s dreams of an independent Indian nation under British sponsorship. In the south, General Andrew Jackson destroyed the military strength of the Creek Nation at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in 1814. With the defeat of Napoleon in 1814, the British adopted a more aggressive strategy, sending in three large invasion armies. The British victory at the Battle of Bladensburg in August 1814 allowed them to capture and burn Washington, D.C. The war is scarcely remembered in Britain today, as it was considered a sideshow to the much larger war against Napoleon in Europe; as such it welcomed an era of peaceful relations and trade with the United States.

The Treaty of Ghent
The Treaty of Ghent was the treaty signed on December 24, 1814, that ended the War of 1812. The treaty ended conflicts between the United States and the British Empire. The treaty was signed in Ghent, which is modern day Belgium, but at the time was considered part of the First French Empire and The Netherlands. Largely, the treaty restored issues between the two countries back to the “status quo.” The treaty also released all prisoners, and restored all war land, as well as all boats. Due to slow mail communications at this time, it took weeks for the news of the treaty to reach the United States, and the Battle of New Orleans was fought after it was signed.

Picturing The Past

The Discovery of the Potato BlightIn this picture, an Irish family has just dug up their potato harvest, and discovered the horror that the blight has rotted their crop. The horror in this painting can be seen by the sadness of the peoples facial expressions, and the distraught in their eyes. You can see the woman to the right of the painting, who is so sad to see what has become of the potato crop, as she has her head in her lap, and is probably sobbing. The man above her stares forward in anger and disbelief as he discovers this news of his potato crop. This family is now facing the starvation and mass epidemics of the Great Famine, just like thousands of other Irish families.

3-2-1 Summary

3 Things I Learned

• I never knew about the involvement of Klemens von Metternich in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars. I had never learned how significant his role was.
• Beethoven was a romantic age composer. I thought that he composed his music long before this time.
• The Battle of Peterloo. I never knew that it was named the Battle of Peterloo in scornful reference to the British victory at Waterloo.

2 Things That Interested Me

• The Romantic Era. I learned about it in English class last year, but I liked learning more about specific artists and musicians of the romantic period.
• George Sand. I was especially interested in George Sand because of her unique story. I liked how she wasn't afraid to stand out with the name of a man because she thought people wouldn't listen to her as a woman.
  

1 Question I Still Have

• Q: Why did the revolutions of 1848 fail almost completely in Europe?
• A: The middle class drew back when artisans, factory workers and radical socialists rose up to present their own revolutionary demands. This retreat began the efforts of the dedicated aristocrats in central Europe to reassert their power. It also made the crushing of Parisian workers by a joining of the bourgeoisie and landowning peasantry in France possible, and and the ideals of the generation in a sea of blood and disillusion.