2. Crisis of the Ancien Régime
The crisis of the Ancien Régime began with the American and
French revolutions. Both were influded by the ideas of the Enlightenment
and at the same time influded in Western Europe.
The victory of the thirteen colonies in the American War of
Independence was the first liberal revolution. These were the first
colonies to release from the control of a metropolis.
The French Revolution was led by the bourgeoisie and the lower
classes against the privileges and inequities of the absolutism, and for a new
State in which the nation could exercise its sovereignty.
In the new United States and France, Declarations of Human Rights
and constitutions were written in order to give form and legality to the
new Liberal State.
The consolidation of the Liberal State was carried out by Napoleon,
who strenghtened and renewed its structures, pushing aside the absolutists as
well as the democratic radicals.
Napoleon created an empire that spread the influence of the
Revolution all over Europe.
In the Restoration, the most powerful European monarchies
attempted to return to the absolutism, as well to keep away from the influence
of the French Revolution and Napoleon’s Empire.
3. Liberalism and nationalism
Liberalism and nationalism were two ideologies that broke
with force in the first half of the 19th century. Both were decisive in the
breaking revolutions that took place between 1820 and 1848.
Liberalism spread over Europe due to French Revolution and
Napoleon’s Empire, and it was stood up by the bourgeoisie, that aspired
to the creation of the Liberal State. This one had to reflect the
principles of liberalism, such as national sovereignty and separation of
powers.
Nationalism emerged as an ideology in this moment. It was based
on the defence of the nation. Previously, the term nation owned only a
geographical concept; along with the crisis of the Ancient Régime, the nation
meant the amont of people that shared the territory, culture, language...
After the fail of the revolutions of 1820, 1830 and
1848, liberalism managed to prevail as a political model from
the 2nd half of the 19th century.
Italy and Germany, that were divided into several
states, carried out a unification process influded by nationalist ideas.
Piedmont and Prussia, the most developed territories in Italy and Germany
respectively, were the leaders of these unifications, succesfully completed in 1870.
