19th Century Political Ideologies: Liberalism and Nationalism

Liberalism in the 19th Century

Liberalism is an ideology that advocates individual liberties, such as the right to life, freedom of expression and association, the right to choose political representatives, and the right to own private property.

• It represented the interests of the bourgeoisie, particularly the wealthier bourgeoisie (bankers and large property owners).
• The key principles supported were:
  • Constitutions that guaranteed citizens' rights and liberties.
  • Constitutional monarchy as the form of government.
  • Separation of powers.
  • Popular sovereignty.
  • Individual liberties.

Liberal Political Parties in the 19th Century

Moderate Liberals

• They supported very limited male suffrage, in which only men with a lot of property could vote.
• They thought that sovereignty should be shared between the monarch and the Cortes or parliament.
• They accepted freedom of speech and of the press, but they supported some prior censorship.

Radical or Progressive Liberals

• Supported limited male suffrage, but with a much lower property requirement. A great number of men could vote.
• They thought that sovereignty belonged only to the people, who were represented by the Cortes or parliament.
• They believed in unrestricted freedom of speech and of the press.

Nationalism and the Nation-State

Nationalism is an ideology that advocates the right of people who define themselves as a nation to form independent states.

• Key principles supported were:
  • A nation-state based on a population with common links (culture, history, and language). It should also have clear territorial boundaries.
  • Popular sovereignty, so that all citizens would feel part of the nation.
  • Each nation should choose its own form of government.
• Two types of nationalism in the 19th century:
  • Unification nationalism advocated the unification of independent states with a common language and history, such as various states on the Italian Peninsula.
  • Separatist nationalism advocated independence for regions that formed part of multinational states (the Greeks, Serbians, and Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire).

The Rise of Democratic Movements

Democratic movements advocated ordinary people's right to participate in politics. Their supporters wanted to end the social and economic inequalities produced by bourgeois liberalism.

• The petite bourgeoisie rejected the limited male suffrage imposed by the wealthy bourgeoisie.
• Key principles that democrats in the 19th century supported:
  • Universal manhood suffrage. They thought all men should have the right to vote.
  • A preference for the republic as a form of government, since they considered hereditary monarchy to be incompatible with democracy.