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Romanticism in Germany
German philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder claimed that true German culture was found among the common people.
He was of the opinion that the true spirit of the nation could only be popularised through folk songs, dances and poetry thus making the collection of these crucial. -
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Economic Hardship in Europe
There was a drastic increase in population during the first half of 19th century.
Unemployment led to migration of people from rural areas to cities.
Small producers faced tough competition from cheap machine-made goods from England.
In Aristocratic regions, peasants struggled to meet feudal dues and obligations.
The rise of prices or a bad harvest led to vast pauperism. -
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The spread of Romanticism
Romanticism was a cultural movement which sought to develop a certain nationalist sentiment.
It criticised the glorification of reason and science and focused on emotions, intuition and mystical feelings.
It aimed to create a sense of shared collective heritage as the basis of a nation. -
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Greek War of Independence
Greece had been a part of the Ottoman Empire since the 15th century.
Nationalists in Greece got support from West Europeans and Greeks living in exile. Poets and Artists spread awareness about the presence of Greece as the cradle for European civilisation.
Finally, it gained independence from the Ottoman empire by the treaty of Constantinople of 1832.
This set off a movement of national unification in Europe. -
Upheaval in France
In July 1830 in France, The Bourbon Kings were overthrown by liberal revolutionaries and a constitutional monarchy was installed with Louis Philippe at it's head.
This sparked an uprising in Brussels and Germany broke away from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. -
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Nationalism and Revolution
Liberalism and Nationalism came to be associated with revolution in the Italian and German states, the provinces of the Ottoman empire, Ireland and Poland.
The Revolutions were led by the educated middle-class elite. -
Romanticism in Poland
In Poland, vernacular language and folklore was used to spread the message of nationalism amongst the illiterate.
National feelings were kept alive using music and language after its partition by the Great Powers. Upon Russian occupation, Russian language was imposed everywhere.
After the unsuccessful rebellion in 1831, Polish was used as a weapon of national resistance.
The clergy shifted to the use of Polish in the Church.
Many Bishops and Priests were imprisoned. -
Weavers in Silesia
In 1845, weavers in Silesia leda revolt against contractors who supplied them raw material and gave orders for finished textiles but drastically reduced their payments.
They marched up to his mansion and demanded higher wages which met with scorn and threats.
Following this, a group of them broke into the mansion and ransacked it.
The contractor fled with his family only to return with the army.
11 weavers were shot. -
Economic crisis in France
In 1848, food shortages and unemployment brought the people of Paris on the roads.
Barricades were erected and Louis Philippe was forced to flee.
National Assembly proclaimed a republic and set up national workshops to provide employment.
It also granted suffrage to all males above 21 and guaranteed the right to work. -
Revolution of the liberals
Inspired by the revolts of the poor, a revolution led by the educated middle class was starting to form.
In Germany, Poland, Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, liberal middle class demanded constitutionalism and national unification based on parliamentary principles. -
Liberals in Germany
In Germany, political associations came together in Frankfurt to vote for an all-German Assembly.
On 18 May 1848, 831 representatives took their places in the Frankfurt Parliament convened in the church of St. Paul and drafted a constitution for a constitutional monarchy.
Friedrich Wilhelm IV, King of Prussia joined other monarchs to oppose this.
The domination of middle class and ignoring of peasant and worker demands led to conflict.
The assembly was forced to disband. -
Political Rights to women
Women participated actively in the liberal movement.
They formed their own political associations, founded newspapers and took part in political meetings and demonstrations.
Despite this, they were denied suffrage rights during the election of the assembly and only admitted as observers during the creation of the constitution. -
Aftermath
The monarchs were unable to restore order after the suppression of the movements.
They realised the need to grant concessions to liberal nationalists.
The serfdom and bonded labour were abolished both in the Habsburg dominions and Russia.
The Habsburg rulers granted more autonomy to the Hungarians in 1867.
