Unit 7 - Habsburg Rebellions

VIENNA UPRISING 1848

• Calls for independence for German states triggered students to lead rebellions and form democratic groups – Habsburg feared serf rebellions; emancipated and abolished serfdom

• The emancipation of serfdom would be a huge problem because they no longer supported the cause for revolution

HUNGARIAN REVOLTS - clash between liberalism and nationalism

• Hungarians wanted to be an independent state while remaining under Habsburg rule – passed March Laws that were accepted by the emperor (taxes on nobles, more free speech, equality in religion and jury, and election of the lower chamber in the diet)

• Attempts to annex Eastern states of the Habsburg Empire, affecting Croatians, Serbs, and Romanians – resisted ‘Magyarization’ because they wanted to keep their own national identity 

• Groups invading Hungary, aid sent from Vienna government 

CZECH NATIONALISM - PAN SLAVISM 

• Czech nationalists wanted Czech provinces to be able to constitute an autonomous Slavic state under the Habsburg domain

• Formed a Pan Slavic congress with slavic regions to pursue Pan Slavism and national identity – advocated against Habsburg repression of Slavs and wanted to be liberated from Habsburg, Ottoman, and German rule (not necessarily fully independent as the little states were weak) 

• Russia used pan slavism as a catalyst for their interests in the East and Balkans 

NORTHERN ITALY

• Initial insurrections from nationalists were immediately defeated by Austrian forces, with the defeat of Piedmont

• Additionally Austria finally defeated Hungary and consolidated power

• The defeat of piedmont provoked radicals to initiate the Roman Republic, which was then forced to defend itself against Napoleon III’s French forces as Piedmont was once again defeated

• In protection for the pope, France defeated the Roman Republic