Unit Three: A Century of Change 1815 -1914
The period from 1815 to 1914 began and ended with two important "marker events" the Congress of Vienna in 1815 and World War 1 in 1914. During the century in between, Europe experienced important political, economic, social, demographic, and cultural changes, sometimes by upheaval, but more often by gradual, incremental reform.
From 1789 to 1815, Europe was disrupted by revolution and war, and so the peace that came after the settlement at the Congress of Vienna in 1815 was a welcome change for most people. However, the tensions that produced the upheavals con-' tinned to shape the unfolding events of the 19th century, as monarchs struggled to maintain control of their regimes and the aristocracy tried to preserve traditional .privileges. The questions that had been raised about how power should be organized, what institutions should direct society, and who should participate in policymaking did not go away, and so the threat of revolution remained, and different ideologies suggested different solutions.
Despite the difficulty of maintaining international stability in this age of nationalism and revolution, European countries managed to stay out of all-consuming war throughout the 19th century. The Crimean War did occur at mid-century, and many countries experienced internal revolutions which, for the most part, were unsuccessful. Throughout Europe, the memory of the Napoleonic Wars supported the Principle of the balance of power among nations until late in the century, when imperialistic ambitions stirred up old rivalries and led to the formation of alliances that clashed in the buildup to World War I in 1914.
Economic changes were also important in the 19th century, as the Industrial Revolution spread through many parts of Europe, greatly impacting everyday life and social structures already challenged during the previous century. Populations grew, and people moved to the cities to work in new industries, putting urban areas under pressure and creating new social problems. Industrialization increased wealth inequalities, and great divisions grew between rich and poor people, as well as between industrialized and non-industrialized nations. The varying reaction. to the problems of industrialization fed the rich mix of ideologies already shaping political questions. Even the Enlightenment-inspired respect for reason and order was questioned, as new movements that emphasized romanticism and cultural relativity vied for acceptance among educated Europeans.
The period from 1815 to 1914 began and ended with two important "marker events" the Congress of Vienna in 1815 and World War 1 in 1914. During the century in between, Europe experienced important political, economic, social, demographic, and cultural changes, sometimes by upheaval, but more often by gradual, incremental reform.
From 1789 to 1815, Europe was disrupted by revolution and war, and so the peace that came after the settlement at the Congress of Vienna in 1815 was a welcome change for most people. However, the tensions that produced the upheavals con-' tinned to shape the unfolding events of the 19th century, as monarchs struggled to maintain control of their regimes and the aristocracy tried to preserve traditional .privileges. The questions that had been raised about how power should be organized, what institutions should direct society, and who should participate in policymaking did not go away, and so the threat of revolution remained, and different ideologies suggested different solutions.
Despite the difficulty of maintaining international stability in this age of nationalism and revolution, European countries managed to stay out of all-consuming war throughout the 19th century. The Crimean War did occur at mid-century, and many countries experienced internal revolutions which, for the most part, were unsuccessful. Throughout Europe, the memory of the Napoleonic Wars supported the Principle of the balance of power among nations until late in the century, when imperialistic ambitions stirred up old rivalries and led to the formation of alliances that clashed in the buildup to World War I in 1914.
Economic changes were also important in the 19th century, as the Industrial Revolution spread through many parts of Europe, greatly impacting everyday life and social structures already challenged during the previous century. Populations grew, and people moved to the cities to work in new industries, putting urban areas under pressure and creating new social problems. Industrialization increased wealth inequalities, and great divisions grew between rich and poor people, as well as between industrialized and non-industrialized nations. The varying reaction. to the problems of industrialization fed the rich mix of ideologies already shaping political questions. Even the Enlightenment-inspired respect for reason and order was questioned, as new movements that emphasized romanticism and cultural relativity vied for acceptance among educated Europeans.
The Big Picture: 1815-1914
The "chunk" of European history from 1815 to 1914 may be distinguished from other periods in these ways:
The "chunk" of European history from 1815 to 1914 may be distinguished from other periods in these ways:
- The Industrial Revolution spread from Britain to the Continent, and its path was determined by factors that either encouraged or discouraged it. The growth of industry was fostered by assistance from states, solidifying a political and economic partnership.
- Everyday life changed as populations grew, and many people moved to urban areas where the nature of work changed significantly.
- European countries struggled to maintain international stability in an age of nationalism and revolution, and by the second half of the century, a new type of conservative ruler emerged to lead the nation states.
- A range of ideologies emerged to address economic and political change, including liberalism, conservatism, and socialism. Intensification of nationalism led to Pan-Slavism, Germanism, and Hellenism, as well as to a sharp competitiveness among nation-states.
- European global interests spread as technological innovations and industrial demands grew, and a new imperialism became an extension of earlier European colonization patterns. These global interests interacted with nationalistic rivalries to create the tension that eventually led to World War I.
- The worldview of educated Europeans changed, as the objectivity prized by Enlightenment thinkers was challenged by more subjective intellectual and cultural movements, such as romanticism. Romanticism encouraged cultural experimentation that resulted in new aesthetic movements, such as realism, impressionism, and cubism. In science, acceptance of Newton's view of an ordered universe was replaced by Einstein's theory of relativity and Darwin's new analysis of the nature of humans stirred controversy.
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