Chapter 21 Notes: Reaction, Revolution, and Romanticism 1815–1850

Concert of Europe: Influenced by Metternich, conservatives aimed to maintain the status quo in Europe by supporting traditional authority.
Political Landscape:
- Conservatives focused on maintaining the traditional order.
- Liberals promoted individual rights and popular sovereignty for the middle class.
- Radicals demanded universal male suffrage and other reforms.
Social Movements: Labor unions for workers, women's rights movements, and abolitionist movements gained traction.

The period was marked by revolts and revolutions influenced by burgeoning nationalism and the push for liberal reforms.
Romanticism as an artistic movement arose as a response, emphasizing emotion and nature over classicism.

Purpose: To create a lasting peace by restoring legitimate monarchies and establishing a balance of power after the Napoleonic Wars.
Key Figures: Austrian foreign minister Klemens von Metternich led the congress.
Principles: Adhered largely to the principle of legitimacy by restoring monarchs in various European nations.
Outcome: Prevented major conflicts in Europe for nearly a century.

Goals: Containment of revolutionary forces, restoration of conservative governments, prevention of nationalism.
Interventionist Policies: Metternich advocated the principle of intervention to restore order in nations facing revolutions, notably in Spain and Italy.

Triggered by extreme social and economic discontent:
- France: Revolution led to the abdication of Louis-Philippe and the establishment of the Second Republic.
- Italy: Nationalistic uprisings occurred but were ultimately repressed by Austrian forces.
- Germany: The Frankfurt Assembly sought national unity but failed.
- Austrian Empire: Revolt in Hungary was suppressed with Russian support.

Key Ideas: Emphasis on tradition, established authority, and resistance to rapid change.
Key Theorists: Edmund Burke argued against revolutions and advocated for gradual reform.

Defining Beliefs: Individual rights, constitutional government, and property qualifications for suffrage.
Notably, John Stuart Mill discussed protections against both governmental and societal coercion.

Concept: Desire for self-determination and unity among peoples with common cultural backgrounds.
Led to demands for unification in Germany and Italy, often opposing conservative structures.

Emergence: Response to industrialization; proposed more equitable social structures.
Early socialists like Fourier and Owen aimed to create cooperative communities.

Characteristics: Emphasis on emotion, nature, individualism; reaction against Enlightenment rationalism.
Key Figures: Writers like Wordsworth and Shelley explored emotional depth and nature in their works.
Artistic Expression: Artists such as Caspar David Friedrich and Eugène Delacroix embodied Romantic ideals through their focus on emotion and nature.

Literature: Prominent themes included nature, individual emotion, and societal critique.
Art & Music: Moods and emotions were pivotal; composers like Beethoven propelled Romantic ideas through music.

Although conservative forces initially regained control following 1848, liberalism and nationalism would shape the course of European history in the latter half of the 19th century.
The artistic movement of Romanticism symbolized a deep cultural reaction to the complexities and upheavals of the time.