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Frederick William III of Prussia
Had Prussia very unified and centralized, which made up a large part of the German States. He led massive reforms in Prussia to improve their power during the Napoleonic Wars, but seemed uninterested about German unity. -
Tsar Alexander I
Raised on the philosophies of the Enlightenment, it seemed as if this absolute ruler would try to reform the problems going on in Russia. He would solve some of these issues, but would still refuse to free the serfs and grant a constitution. -
Louis XVIII
Brother of Louis XVI, he took France back over after Robespierre and Napoleon were gone. He would institute a Constitutional Monarchy that would make the Bourbon Monarchs favorable in the eyes of the French people again. -
German Confederation Established
Thirty-eight sovereign states of Germany were recognized and put together in the German Confederation. The confederation had little actual power but set a good starting point for German unification. It would also replace the Holy Roman Empire. -
Union of Netherlands and Belgium
At the Congress of Vienna, the Dutch Republic gained the territory of Belgium (at the time, the Austrian Netherlands), mostly for geographic reasons. The Protestant Dutch Republic and Catholic Belgium did not mesh as well on religion, creating later problems. -
Karlsbad Decrees
Ended the Burschenschaften, which were student societies dedicated to unifying Germany. It would also censor the press and keep close control on universities, to stop potential rebellion. -
Peterloo Massacre
In Manchester, over 100,000 people gathered to garner ideas about Parliamentary reform and were peacefully protesting the government. A local force of volunteer soldiers broke them up violently, killing at least 10 and injuring hundreds. -
Charles X
French Monarch who re-centralized power. Censoring of press, lowering power to legislative branch, and reducing number of people who could vote. He was deposed almost immediately for this. -
Decembrist Revolt
After Alexander's sudden death, and his brother Constantine's unwillingness to take the throne, opponents to the crown would try to take advantage of this. Tsar Nicholas I would put them down very easily, and its leaders were executed. -
Tsar Nicholas I
Having started his career with a nation in revolt likely had a profound impact on Nicholas, as he would take very cautionary actions to try and keep his nation unified. He began a secret police force, for political opponents, and would try to crush any revolution anywhere in Europe. -
July Revolution
Due to Charles X's extremely unpopular and authoritarian July Ordinances, he was deposed by the French people right after. A more moderate group, led by Charles X's cousin, Louis-Philippe the Duke of Orleans, would take power with a Constitutional Monarchy. -
Louis-Philippe
Called the bourgeois monarch for his strong support of the upper middle class. Re-introduced financial qualifications to vote, eliminating most of the lower class from the voting class. The class that had put him in office was largely unable to vote. -
Belgian Independence
Catholic Belgium, seeking religious independence from the protestant Dutch Republic, would rise up against the Dutch. Luckily for them, they were able to convince other European nations to accept their independence. -
Polish Uprising
Yet another revolution had broken out in France, and Emperor Nicholas I intended on using the Polish Army to suppress it. Feeling as if this was unfair, the people of people, especially in Warsaw, revolted. -
Suppression of Polish Revolt
The Russian army outnumbered the Polish army 115,000 to 45,000. The Polish were forced to retreat after the first few battles and never got back on the offensive. Lithuania, Belarus, and Ukraine tried to help (with their own interests in mind) by revolting at the same time to try and make a multiple front war for the Russians, but they would all fail anyways, -
Reform Act of 1832
Helped move Britain to the times of the Industrial Revolution, increasing say of factory towns. Upper middle class now able to vote, nearly doubling the number of voters. -
Poor Law
Based on the belief that giving aid to the poor only encourages laziness. Made conditions of those living off of government wages terrible, and motivated people to work. -
Emperor Ferdinand I
Habsburg leader of Austria who was forced to loosen the centralized grip on parts of his empire, such as Hungary and Bohemia. He would later try to regain his power, but had limited success. -
Revolution in Germany
Seeing the Revolution in France, German revolutionaries themselves would rise up, seeking a constitution, free press, jury trials, and other reforms. A new central leadership would promise these, while also working towards a new unified Germany. -
Metternich Dismissed
The former chancellor of Austria, second in command to the emperor, was forced out in the beginning of the Revolution there. The Hungarians wanted to make their own laws and more or less lead themselves, so they deposed him to gain power. -
Italian Revolution
A group called the Risorgimento would try to unify Italy, publishing a few books and urging Italians to live their lives with the purpose of loving and helping unify their nation. They had to gain national unity before they could actually revolt. -
Charles Albert attacks Austrians
A trend began as rulers of Italian States began to grant constitutions to their people, and the states that did this began to rebel against Austria for more liberties. Charles Albert of Piedmont took up the call as a centralized leader to this revolt. This revolt was unsuccessful, and all of the Italian states except Piedmont had their constitutions overruled. -
Rebels Crushed (Austria)
Attempting to regain control, Ferdinand I ruthlessly put down revolts in Bohemia and Vienna. He used military force on his own citizens, and would resign later that year due to unpopularity and his feeble mind. -
Frankfurt Assembly
The middle and upper classes dominated this meeting considering potential reforms and German unification. They would debate on whether or not to take German States from other nations' holdings. They seemed to agree that the king of Prussia would become the emperor of this new territory., but he did not want their title. -
Francis Joseph I
Aided by the Russians, Francis Joseph was able to suppress all of their domestic issues (including Hungary), and re-centralize power. Autocratic power had been restored in Austria, Revolutions failed.
