East European Struggles for Independence in the Wake of the French Revolution

I.  The French Revolution (1789)

death of the old regime (Bourbon dynasty)

beginning of modern nationalism

French people—sovereign, not monarch  

1792-1815 Revolutionary wars

Napoleon Bonaparte

military successes Holland, Switzerland, Italy Germany

II.  Liberté, egalité, fraternité slogan of French Revolution

inspired struggles for independence & national self-determination

A.        Polish insurrection of 1830 attempts to restore Polish independence. Defeated by Russians   

B.         Germany not yet unified: Conquest of Napoleon’s French troops. Nationalism as  reaction to French occupation

How did any of this affect Eastern Europe?

• set example
• Educated elites—ideas from the Revolution
• Poland’s Constitution 1791
• Polish legions
• Kosciuszko 1994 uprising
• 1807 “Duchy of Warsaw” established out of Prussian-occupied Poland
• 1806—Holy Roman Empire ends: Austrian Empire
• non-Austrian German lands form Confederation of the Rhine
• Slovenia and Croatia (“Illyrian Provinces”) Napoleon takes from Habsburgs

III.  Austria, Prussia, Russia want to turn back clock: 1815 Congress of Vienna (end of revolution & Napoleon)

• presided over by Metternich, Austrian symbol of conservative reaction
• Principles of Congress: Legitimacy and Restoration

• In Central Europe Confederation of the Rhine + Prussia & Austria renamed German Confederation
• Duchy of Warsaw -->  “Congress Poland” part of Russia, though Poles have measure of autonomy, even an army and “sejm.” Adam Czartoryski, Polish prince involved in creation of Congress Kingdom
• Congress ended with “Concert of Europe” alliance of Austria, Prussia, Russia, Britain, which agreed to guard status quo
• Inside Habsburg Monarchy Metternich system: extra police, censorship, political repression
• But orderly competent bureaucracy. In retrospect—some positive legacy 
• In era of nationalism, however, most non-Germans saw Habsburg Empire as oppressive

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