-
The Congress of Vienna
At the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the powerful rulers of Europe sought to suppress revolutionary ideas, preserve their own power, and set up a lasting peace. Prince Clemens von Metternich, a commanding force at the congress, warned of the dangers of the “revolutionary seed” spread by the French Revolution and Napoleon. Revolutionary ideas, he warned, not only threatened Europe’s monarchs but also undermined the values of the old social order. -
Brazil Gains Independence
Napoleon left his son, Dom Pedro, to rule Brazil. In 1822, a revolution had brought new leaders to Portugal who planned to abolish reforms and demand that Dom Pedro return. He refused to leave Brazil. -
Charles X Inherits the Throne
When Louis XVIII died in 1824, his younger brother, Charles X, inherited the throne. Charles was a strong believer in absolutism. He rejected the very idea of the charter. -
The July Revolution
In July 1830, Charles X suspended the legislature, limited the right to vote, and rejected the press. In Paris, angry citizens threw up barricades across the narrow streets. From behind the barricades, people, fired on the soldiers and pelted them with stoned and roof tiles. Within days, rebels controlled Paris. The revolutionary tricolor flew from the towers of Notre Dame cathedral. Frightened, Charles X abdicated and fled to England. -
The Belgians Revolt
In Belgium in 1830, Belgium heard of the Paris revolts, which ignited a revolutionary spark in Belgium. Students and workers with other citizens threw up the barricades in Brussels, the capital. The Dutch king hoped for Britain and France to help. -
The Polish Revolt
In 1830, Polish students, army officers and landowners rose in revolt. The rebels failed to gain widespread support, however, and were brutally crushed by Russian forces. Some survivors fled to Western Europe and the United States where they kept alive the dream of freedom. -
Belgium Gains Independence
Britain and France backed Belgian demands for independence, expecting to benefit from the separation of Belgium and Holland. As a result, in 1831, Belgium became an independent state with a liberal constitution. Soon after, the major European powers signed a treaty recognizing Belgium as a “perpetually neutral state." -
"February Days"
In February of 1848, the government took steps to silence critics & prevent public meetings, which sent angry crowds into the streets of Paris. Overturned carts, paving stones, & toppled trees blocked the streets. Church bells rang alarms, while women & men on the barricades sang the revolutionary anthem "La Marseillaise". A number of demonstrators clashed with royal troops and were killed. -
"June Days"
By June, upper- and middle-class interests had won control of the government. They shut down the workshops because they thought they were a waste of money. Furious, workers again took the streets of Paris, France. Bourgeois liberals turned violently against the protestors. Peasants, who feared that the socialists might take their land, also attacked the rioting workers. At least 1,500 people were killed before the government crushed the rebellion. -
Louis Napoleon is Elected President
Nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, Louis Napoleon is elected president by the end of 1848. The "new" Napoleon attracted the working classes by presenting himself as a man who cared about social issues like poverty. At the same time, his famous name, linked with order and past French glory, helped him with conservatives. -
The Seneca Falls Convention
In the USA, in 1848, Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton organized the Seneca Falls Convention, the very first ever women’s rights convention, to address the problems faced by women. The convention passed a resolution, based on the Declaration of Independence. It began, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal.” -
Napoleon III Establishes the Second Empire
By 1852, Louis Napoleon takes the title Napoleon III and proclaims himself emperor. Napoleon III used a ballot in which voters have a direct way on an issue, to win public approval for his seizure of power. 90% of the voters supported his move to set up the Second Empire. Many thought a monarchy was more stable than a republic or hoped Napoleon III would restore the glory days of Napoleon Bonaparte. -
Otto von Bismark's "blood and iron" Speech
In Otto von Bismarck's "blood and iron" speech delivered in 1862, he set the tone for his future policies. He wanted Prussian legislators to vote for more money to build up the army. Liberal members opposed the move. Bismark rose and dismissed their concerns with a speech that became known as the "blood and iron" speech. -
Otto von Bismark Becomes Chancellor
Otto von Bismark first served Prussia as a diplomat in Russia and France. After that, he was prime minister to King William I. In 1871, Bismarck became chancellor, or the highest official, of a united Germany.
