Pages 593-603 | Due 1/15/2007

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Disclaimer: Notes are not a replacement for doing the required reading, they are only a supplement and I recommend only skimming these notes and always doing the required reading. ALWAYS.

Revolution and Reform

• Forces of change began to break the domination of conservatism.
• 1848- Liberals and nationalists began to think they were nearing a creation of a new order.

Another French Revolution

• Charles X’s elections in 1830 was a victory for the liberals in France
• Charles X then introduced a set of edicts called the July Ordinances
• These ordinances set into place harsh censorship on the press, eliminated the legislative assembly, and reduced the electorate size in preparation for new elections. July Revolution was a direct result of the ordinance.
• Temporary government formed by liberals and appealed to Louis Philippe the cousin of Charles X and duke of Orlean, to be the constitutional King. This monarchy was called the “bourgeois monarch” as it drew much support from the upper middle class. Louis Philippe even dressed like the middle class.
• Qualifications of voting were reduced though only significant enough to include only the wealthy to all degrees.
• However, the lower middle class and the less fortunate that helped overthrow Charles X were upset that they didn’t get any slices of the cake.
• French Industrialization created the industrial working class who worked under poor conditions that eventually caused them to resort to violence.
• The legislature – Chamber of Deputies – had different opinions about the bourgeois economy that eventually led to the division of two groups.
• Party of Movement, led by Adolphe Thiers, favored ministeral responsibility, active foreign policy and limited expansion.
• Party of Resistance, led by Francois Guizot, believed everything was perfect and no change was needed. This party ended up being the winner and dominated the legislature.

Revolutionary Outbursts in Belgium, Poland, and Italy

• Liberalism prevailed in the July Revolution but nationalism prevailed in three other countries.
• The Congress of Vienna had added the Austrian Netherlands to the Dutch Republic.
• Belgians were not satisfied with the merging of two regions that do not share languages, religion, or culture and their uprising against the Dutch succeeded in persuading the European powers that an individual Belgium state was necessary.
• Leopold of SaxeCoburg was chosen to be the new king of the constitutional monarchy established in Belgium.
• Italy and Poland, however, failed miserably in their revolutionary attempts. Italy was crushed by Metternich’s troops and Poland (thinking France and Britain had her back) was crushed by the Russians and a military dictatorship was established.

Reform in Great Britain

• Whigs were in power by parliamentary election.
• Industrial leaders objected to the corrupt voting system.
• The Whigs eventually introduced the election Reform Act in 1832.
• The 56 boroughs were done away with and reapportioned. The result was 42 new towns and cities named in that process.
• Property qualifications were NOT done away with meaning still only 1/30 people were represented in parliament.
• Aristocrats would attempt to bass bills that abused the industrial system while the industrialists and manufacturers would attempt to fight back with their own bills.
• Poor Law of 1834 – Giving to the poor encourages laziness causing even more poverty.
• The poor were crowded into workhouses with terrible conditions in order to encourage the search for better employment.
• Corn Laws were also repealed reducing tariffs back to reasonable prices therefore reducing the price of grain and bread. Thanks to Richard Cobden and John Bright- Anti-Corn Law League and the persuasion that Robert Peel (a tory) gave to his associates.
• As a result, the reforms were enough to keep revolution away from England. (Click “more…” for the next part of notes)