19th Century Europe: Napoleon and Revolutions

Napoleon's France (1799-1814)

Napoleon Bonaparte ruled France between 1799 and 1814.

Main ideas: unification of Europe, laws, and centralization.

Two Periods:

• The Consulate (1799-1804): Napoleon consolidated his power and implemented many revolutionary ideas, supported by the high bourgeoisie.
• The Empire (1804-1814): He declared himself Emperor of France, aiming to create a European Empire and spread revolutionary ideas across Europe.

Napoleon was defeated in 1814 by a coalition of countries.

After the Congress of Vienna, other European powers attempted to restore the absolutist system.

Napoleon's attempted comeback in 1815 ended in defeat.

The Liberal Ideas Spread by Napoleon

• Government: He sought national unification under a strong central government, establishing a constitutional monarchy with universal suffrage.
• Religion: Napoleon guaranteed religious freedom for Protestants and Catholics. The Church lost its power to collect tithes.
• Law: New laws promoted national unity and incorporated equality before the law and freedom of religion. However, women's rights were not addressed.
• Education: Napoleon favored a state system of secular education with a centralized national curriculum.
• Economics: The focus was on stimulating the economy and serving the interests of the bourgeoisie. Napoleon built roads and canals and established the Bank of France.

The Congress of Vienna (1814)

The Congress of Vienna aimed to redraw Europe's territorial boundaries and restore the Ancien Régime.

It was supported by the four major powers: Austria, Russia, Prussia, and Great Britain.

Two Opposing Ideologies:

• Absolutism: Driven by the absolutist monarchs who convened in Vienna, seeking to maintain their power.
• Liberalism and Nationalism: Inspired by the Enlightenment, the French and American Revolutions, and the British parliamentary system, driven by the bourgeoisie.

Revolutions of the 19th Century