1815-1916 – The myth of Europes peaceful century
(1952 – An Evidenzbureau historical Analysis by Maximilian Ronge)
Summary
While it is true that the years between Napoleons final defeat at Romilly-sur-Seine and the outbreak of the Great War did not see a large scale conflict in Europe, Those years nonetheless were not peaceful at all. Not in a global sense and even not in an European sense. But no conflict reached the scale of the Coalition wars or the following Great War. So in hindsight those years may be seen as comparable peaceful.
Phase I - Reaction
The system shaped by the Congress of Vienna lasted no more than 15 years. Those years were marked by the attempt to re-establish absolutism and undo the experiment started by the French revolution. But even as Europe stayed in a state of “peaceful contemplation” the various revolutionary movements in the Ottoman Balkans region especially the finally successful Greek revolution, the Egyptian separate way and the independence of the South American colonies hinted that the age of absolutism was finally over.
Phase II – New revolution
In 1830 France the ghost of revolution rose again and despite the successful conquest of Algiers Charles X had to abdicate and Louis Phillipe accepted the crown with a largely diminished power for the king. Serbia gained de-facto independence and in Poland an insurrection was put down.
It is not clear why the Austrian Emperor Franz I decided to act as he did, but his decision of “revolution from above” reshaped the Austrian monarchy from a conservative state into a liberal Monarchy. Clemens Prince Metternich was replaced by the more liberal Count Franz Anton von Kolowrat-Liebsteinsky as head of government. Archduke Charles of Teschen was nominated as Minister for the reorganisation of the Army. And finally the emperors older son Ferdinand renounced his claims to the throne in favour of his younger brother Franz Karl (Franz II). Kolowrat-Liebsteinsky reduced censorship and allowed the formation of political parties. When Franz I died in 1836 and Franz Karl ascended the Throne as Franz II the Austrian empire got its first constitution. Census suffrage was established (15% of the male population of the age of 25 and above were allowed to vote on a single chamber parliament. The Emperor was not oblieged to sign laws passed by the parliament, but usually did. The government was independent of the parliament. Taxation was a governmental power and did not need parliamental approvement).
When in 1848 the next wave of revolutions swept through Europe Austria was also affected. But Austria faced not a revolution of the people against the various royal governments, but of a revolution of the (Hungarian) nobles against the House of habsburg.
Phase III – Unification wars
While those mainly affected Germany and Italy they had impact on the other European nations too. This phase also marked the further dismantling of the Ottoman Empire (which – in hindsight started immediately after the Coalition wars).
Phase IV – Colonisation Craze
This phase was the longest and lasted from 1870 to 1900. It saw the great powers dividing the world among themselves and also the rise of a few new global powers inside and outside of Europe. The start of this phase is marked by the end of the Unification wars, but actually the ground of the “Colonisation race” was prepared 40 years earlier when France and Austria divided the Barbary states among themselves.
Phase V – Buildup to war
The years between 1890 and 1915 were marked by the forming of the two major sides of the Great War – The Central Powers and the Entente. It was a time when former friends became foes and foes turned into allies. None of the great powers escaped the war. But some were affected more than others.
Chapter I
….
(1952 – An Evidenzbureau historical Analysis by Maximilian Ronge)
Summary
While it is true that the years between Napoleons final defeat at Romilly-sur-Seine and the outbreak of the Great War did not see a large scale conflict in Europe, Those years nonetheless were not peaceful at all. Not in a global sense and even not in an European sense. But no conflict reached the scale of the Coalition wars or the following Great War. So in hindsight those years may be seen as comparable peaceful.
Phase I - Reaction
The system shaped by the Congress of Vienna lasted no more than 15 years. Those years were marked by the attempt to re-establish absolutism and undo the experiment started by the French revolution. But even as Europe stayed in a state of “peaceful contemplation” the various revolutionary movements in the Ottoman Balkans region especially the finally successful Greek revolution, the Egyptian separate way and the independence of the South American colonies hinted that the age of absolutism was finally over.
Phase II – New revolution
In 1830 France the ghost of revolution rose again and despite the successful conquest of Algiers Charles X had to abdicate and Louis Phillipe accepted the crown with a largely diminished power for the king. Serbia gained de-facto independence and in Poland an insurrection was put down.
It is not clear why the Austrian Emperor Franz I decided to act as he did, but his decision of “revolution from above” reshaped the Austrian monarchy from a conservative state into a liberal Monarchy. Clemens Prince Metternich was replaced by the more liberal Count Franz Anton von Kolowrat-Liebsteinsky as head of government. Archduke Charles of Teschen was nominated as Minister for the reorganisation of the Army. And finally the emperors older son Ferdinand renounced his claims to the throne in favour of his younger brother Franz Karl (Franz II). Kolowrat-Liebsteinsky reduced censorship and allowed the formation of political parties. When Franz I died in 1836 and Franz Karl ascended the Throne as Franz II the Austrian empire got its first constitution. Census suffrage was established (15% of the male population of the age of 25 and above were allowed to vote on a single chamber parliament. The Emperor was not oblieged to sign laws passed by the parliament, but usually did. The government was independent of the parliament. Taxation was a governmental power and did not need parliamental approvement).
When in 1848 the next wave of revolutions swept through Europe Austria was also affected. But Austria faced not a revolution of the people against the various royal governments, but of a revolution of the (Hungarian) nobles against the House of habsburg.
Phase III – Unification wars
While those mainly affected Germany and Italy they had impact on the other European nations too. This phase also marked the further dismantling of the Ottoman Empire (which – in hindsight started immediately after the Coalition wars).
Phase IV – Colonisation Craze
This phase was the longest and lasted from 1870 to 1900. It saw the great powers dividing the world among themselves and also the rise of a few new global powers inside and outside of Europe. The start of this phase is marked by the end of the Unification wars, but actually the ground of the “Colonisation race” was prepared 40 years earlier when France and Austria divided the Barbary states among themselves.
Phase V – Buildup to war
The years between 1890 and 1915 were marked by the forming of the two major sides of the Great War – The Central Powers and the Entente. It was a time when former friends became foes and foes turned into allies. None of the great powers escaped the war. But some were affected more than others.
Chapter I
….