Jana Skerlova, Ph.D.



ž1789 – the French Revolution broke out
ž1792–1815 – anti-French wars
ž1792–1802 – the wars against the French Revolution
žSeveral coaliations against France (Austria + Prussia + Great Britain + Russia + several smaller
German states against France), several military campaigns
ž1803–1805 – Napoleon’s Invasion of Great Britain - unsuccesfull
ž1804 – Napoleon Bonaparte crowned the Emperor of France
žMarch 1805 – Napoleon proclaimed King of Italy
žThan he marched via Bavaria towards Austria
žThe French army occupied Vienna – it was was a big shock for the Austrians
ž

žNapoleon by Jacqoues-Louis David
504px-Jacques-Louis_David_008.jpg


•
•http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/ivysilani/10099029347/
•http://www.austerlitz.org/
•http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdd1a90CFio
•http://www.zamek-slavkov.cz/en/
ž
žNapoleon continued to South Moravia where the Russian troops supporting the Austrians were
situated
žNapoleon occupied Brno
žDecember 2, 1805 – the Battle of Three Emperors near the Moravian town of Slavkov (Austerlitz) – a
great victory of Napoleon – he defeated Austrian Emperor Francis I and Russian Tzar Alexandr
žNapoleon had 73 000 men, austro-russian coalition had 85 000 men
žPeace Treaty of Pressburg between Napoleon and Francis II of Austria (Austrian withdrawal from the
Third Coalition)
žAustria had lost terriotories in Italy, Istria and Dalmacia (Iliric Kingdom was formed) and some
German terriories – ceded to Napoleon’s allies (Bavaria)
žThe effective end of the Holy Roman Empire
ž1806 – Austrian Empire – Francis I
žRhineland Confederation was formed in German territory
ž
ž
ž
ž

žChateau Austerlitz
žCairn of Peace
slavkov_let.jpg slavkov_mohyla.jpg

žNapoleonic wars has brought many changes into the CE
žOctober 14, 1806 – Napoleon defeated Prussia at the battle of Jena and Auerstad
ž1806 – Berlin was occupied by Napoleon
žNapoleon invaded Polish territory – wars with Russians
ž1807 – the Treaty of Tilsit with Russians –
žThe Grand Duchy of Warsaw was established in Poland (Duke – Napoleon’s ally – the King of Saxony)
– big impact – legal code, abolition of serfdom, modernization
ž1809 – Austro-British Coalition against France – uncuccesfull
ž1809 – Napoleon entered Vienna again
ž1809 – Napoleon married Austrian Archduchess Marie Luisa - with the aim of ensuring a more stable
alliance with Austria and of providing the Emperor with an heir
ž1812 – Napoleon controlled: the French Empire, the Swiss Confederation, the Confederation of the
Rhine, the Duchy of Warsaw and the Kingdom of Italy
ž
ž

žTerritories allied with the French included: Kingdom of Spain (Joseph Bonaparte – N. brother),
Kingdom of Westphalia (Jerome Bonaparte – N. brother, Kingdom of Naples (Joachim Murat – N.sister’s
Caroline husband), Principality of Lucca (N.sister Elisa and her husband)
ž1812 – Napoleon launched an invasion of Russia – 650,000 men, but unsuccesful – Russians – the
Patriotic War, Scorched Earth tactics, severe winter
žSeptember 7, 1812 – Battle of Borodino
žNapoleon entered Moscow – mas burnt by Russians before that
žNovember 1812 – Napoleon crossed the Berezina River, but his army weak (380,000 men dead or
missing, 100,000 captured during the campain)
žNapoleon  had left his army and escaped to Paris
ž1813 – the Battle of Leipzig – the Battle of the Nations – Austria, Prussia, Russia, Sweden
against France – Napoleon  defeated and forced to abdicate
ž1814–1815 – the Peace Congres in Vienna
žinterrupted by Napoleon – June 1815 – the Battle of Waterloo – Napoleon finaly defeated
žThe Napoleonic wars changed the map of Central Europe
ž

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žReadings:
ž
žLefebvre, Georges (1971). The French Revolution: From Its Origins to 1793. Columbia University
Press.
žFuret, Francois (1995). Revolutionary France, 1770–1880. Blackwell Publishing.
žEnglund, Steven (2004): Napoleon: A political Life.
ž

žFrancis II (1792 – 1836), since 1804 ruled as the Austrian Emperor Francis I
žthe era of absolutism
žthe first minister – Prince  Klemens Wenzel von Metternich – convinced conservative monarchist –
The Metternich absolutism
ž1811 – General Civil Code (ABGB)– compromis between old and new ideologies
ž1811 – devastating collpase of the state finances in February (paper currency was devalued to one
fifth of its original value)
ž
ž

žWhat is absolutism?
ž
ža political system and theory of government
žthe King (or Queen) is all-powerful and possesses a monopoly on the use of force and the
administration of justice
žthe ultimate authority to run a state was in the hands of a king who ruled by divine right (i. e.
a King/ Queen was given his/her position by some higher power – by God)
žThe prerequisites for absolutism:
1. The King (or Queen) has an orderly and efficient bureaucracy where all power and directives flow
downward from the monarch.
ž
2. The King (or Queen) has a large standing army with which to enforce his (or her) will.
ž
3. The power of any other groups or traditional institutions is suppressed, especially the power of
the nobility as a class.
ž
4. Absolute government is costly and usually requires heavy taxation for support.
ž
5. Absolute government depends heavily for its success on strong personality traits in the King (or
Queen) as a personal symbol of the state/country.
ž
ž

žEmperor Francis  and his Family, a portrait by Jozef Kreutzinger
Josef_Kreutzinger_-_Kaiserliche_Familie.jpg


žCongress of Vienna
ža conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held
in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815
žthe aim –  finishing the wars with France and restauration of old principles – the situation
before the revolution (no revolutions, no republicanism, lesser civil rights etc.)
ž4 Great Powers: Russia (Tzar Alexandr I, Foreign Minister Count Carl Robert Nesselrode), Prussia
(King Frederick William III, Chancellor Karl August von Hardenberg) , Austria (Emperor Francis I.,
the Foreign Minister Prince Metternich) and Great Britain (Foreign Secretary Viscount Castelreagh,
later Duke of Wellington)
žsurprisingly important role of defeated France – thanks to Ministre of Foreign Affairs Maurice de
Talleyrand – a very good diplomat
ž

žThe Congress of Vienna was not only a political congress but also a festive event with concerts,
dances, hunting and coursing etc . Due to that it is sometimes called „A Dancing Congress“.
Congres 4.jpg

žThe Final Act – June 1815:
žRussia was given most of the Duchy of Warsaw (so called Congress Poland was formed) and was
allowed to keep Finland (annexed from Sweden in 1809)
žPrussia was given two fifths of Saxony, parts of the Duchy of Warsaw, Danzig, and the
Rhineland/Westphalia.
žA German Confederation of 38 states was created from the previous 360 of the Holy Roman Empire,
under the presidency of the Austrian Emperor
žthe United Kingdom of the Netherlands was established
žThe neutrality of Switzerland was guaranteed.
žThe Bourbon Ferdinand IV, King of Sicily was restored to control of the Kingdom of Naples
žThe slave trade was condemned
ž

žClement Wenceslas Nepomuk Lothar von Metternich-Winneburg-Beilstein (1773 – 1859)
Portrait-of-Klemens-Lothar-Wenzel-von-Metternich.jpg


Map_congress_of_vienna.jpg



žso called The Concert of Europe, also known as the Congress System or Vienna System – it was the
network of treaties, institutions and practices that should ensure the balance of power that
existed in Europe from the end of the Napoleonic Wars (1815) to the outbreak of World War I (1914)
ž1815 – the Quadruplle Aliance was established – the winners over Napoleon (United Kingdom,
Austria, Prussia, Russia)
ž1815 – the Holy Alliance was signed by Russian Tzar, Austrian Emperor and Prussian King – the aim
of this document was to implement the Christian values and principles into the political life, the
moral principles were emphasized, the main goal was again the cooperation against revolutionary,
liberal and democratic movements
žlater it was signed by almost all European rulers, except those from Skandinavia, Osman Sultan and
the Pope, the Great Britain left the system of the Holy Alliance in 1822
ž1818 – the occupation of France was finished – France acceded the Quadrupple Alliance → the
Quintupple Alliance was established
žthe meetings of the Great Powers during this period: Aachen (1818), Carlsbad (1819), Verona
(1822), London (1832), Berlin (1878)

žRebirth of national spirits
ž
žThe first wave of the national movements – 1820s:
•German states
•Italian states
ž
žThe second wave of national movements in 1830s:
•almost in the whole Europe
•started in France (against extremly conservative king Charles X) , then spread to Belgium, to
Italy and to other states
ž

žafter Napoleonic wars and the Congress of Vienna there were three states in Poland:
•the semi-autonomous so-called Congress Poland controlled by Russia – it was united with Russia
through a personal union
•the semi-autonomous Grand Duchy of Poznań controlled by Prussia
•the semi-autonomous Kingdom of Galicia and Sandomer controlled by Austria
ž
605px-Congress_Poland_in_1815.PNG

žthe outbreak of the uprising – November 29, 1830 in Warsaw
žOn 25 January 1831, the Sejm passed the Act of Dethronization of Tsar Nicolas I and ended the
personal union with Russia
žon 29 January 1831 Prince Adam Czartoryzski became President of the new Polish National Government
žthe Russians formed very strong army and defeated Polish army at the Battle of Ostrolenka in May
1831
žthe Polish Uprising was supressed
žcruel persecution succeded, the leaders of the uprising were sentenced to death so they emigrated
žthe cosequence of the vawe of national movements during the 1830s – the collapse of the Holy
Alliance
ž

žgeneral economic depression spread from England to the rest of Europe in mid-1840s
žbad harvest, potato blight and drought in 1846 → famine
žstrong influence of industrial revolution on politics
žbourgeouisie (owners of factories, businessmen) had money but only small political influence
žbad living conditions of working classes
ž
žthe revolution started in January 1848 in Italy (Sicily) – against the Bourbons
žFebruary 1848 – revolution in France – ended constitutional monarchy of Louis Phillipe of Orleans
ž

žthe March Revolution – southern and western parts
žit was led by well educated students and intellectuals, but there were also many mass
demonstrations
žthere were 39 states – demand of German national unity
žwanted civil rights
žtwo conceptions:
•"greater German solution" (including German-speaking areas of Austria)
•"smaller German solution"
žMarch 1849 -  the new German constitution was proclaimed
žthey decided to proclaim constitutional monarchy – the crown was offered to Prussian king
Frederick William IV – refused to accept the crown from the hands of revolutionary parliament
žthe new constituion was refused by most of the German rulers
žthe revolution was unsuccesful

žFerdinand I (1836–1848)
žweak ruler, mentally challenged, the real ruler of the monarchy was the konservative Chief
Minister Klemens Wenzel von Metternich
žso called pre-March period - restricted freedom of the press, of the speech, of association
žlimited many university activities, strong censorship, police control
žthe empire, ruled from Vienna, included Austrian Germans, Hungarians, Slovenes, Poles, Czechs,
Croats, Slovaks, Ukrainians, Romanians, Serbs and Italians,
žall of them wanted to either achieve autonomy, independence, or even hegemony over other
nationalities
žRebirth of the national spirits among the nationalities of the Habsburg Monarchy
ž
ž

žthe first unrests in Prague in March 1848
žthe conception of austroslavism
žJune 1848 – the Pan-Slav Congress was held in Prague under the leadership of the historian
František Palacký
žDiscussions whether the Slavs should support federated Austria or work to hasten its dissolution –
but no decision
župrising in June – supressed by an Austrian army led by Alfred I, Prince of Windisch-Grätz
žMarch 1848 – revolution in Vienna
žMetternich was removed from the office and escaped from Vienna
žin September 1848 – the Emperor´s decree – the serfdom was completely cancelled (citizens got
civil rights but the suffrage was not general)
žOctober – new uprising in Vienna - supressed
žDecember 1848 – Ferdinad I resigned, lived in Prague till 1875

žFranz Joseph I of Austria
ž(1848–1916)
ž
žabsolutism again
žConstituonal experiments and autocratic measures
žso called Stadion´s constitution – was not accepted by an assembly
ž
ž
ž
439px-Franz_Joseph_1865.jpg

žMarch 1848 – revolution also in Hungary
ž12 Demands – among others: authonomy, control over its foreign policy, budget and army, general
taxes
žHungary was multinational (Slovaks, Croats, Rumanians, Ruthenians, Serbs, Germans etc.)
ž1848 – Demands of the Slovak Nation – first Slovak political programme demanding national and
territorial authonomy within the framework of Hungary
žtheir demands were refused (no politic nor national rights) so they  (togenther with other
non-Hungarian nations in Hungary) fought against Hungarians
žApril 1849 –independent Hungarian state was proclaimed
žFranz Joseph asked Russian Tzar for a help against Hungarian revolt
ž13 August 1849 – the Battle of Villágos – Hungarians defeated
žRepressions
ž

žafter the defeat of revolution movement in Habsburg monarchy conservative absolutism again
žthe ruler – Emperor
ž1851 – the constitution was cancelled – neoabsolutism was introduced
žthe main personality – the Prime Minister Alexander Bach → Bach’s absolutism
žpolice regime, centralism, control of public life, strict censorship
žpolitical rights cancelled
žkept – eqality before the law,  freedom of religion and cancellation of the serfdom
žeconomic reforms
ž
ž
ž

žForeign policy – unsuccesful
ž
žneutrality in Crimean War 1853–1856
oOriginally a conflict between Ottoman Empire and Russia – the dispute for protection of the rights
of Christians in the Holy Land (controlled by Ottoman Empire)
oRussia wanted to use the decline of the Ottoman Empire („sick man of Europe“) and take control
over the straits Bosporus and Dardanells
oNovember 1953 – Ottoman fleet destroyed by Russians at the Battle of Sinope
oGreat Britain nad France declared the war against Russia and supported the Ottoman Empire, later
also  the Kingdom of Sardinia
oAustrian Emperor agreed the intervention but did not support it, declared neutrality
o1854 – the Russians advanced to the Danubian Principalities Wallachia and Moldavia, after their
withdrawl their place in these Principalities was taken by the Austrians
o1856 – Paris Peace Treaty – neutrality of the Black Sea and the straits
oAfter the end of the war Austria had to return The danubian Principalities to the Ottoman Empire,
practically they became independent
oInternational isolation of Habsburg Monarchy during and after the Crimean War
ž

crimean_war_1853-6_map.jpg



ž1859 – the war with Italy –
oHabsburgs were defeated and lost Lombardy (the territory in Nothern Italy)
ž
žthis war caused deep financial crisis in Habsburg Monarchy
žthis crisis and dissatisfaction with absolutist policy led to its end
žits main representatives headed by Alexander Bach were withdrawn
ž1860 – the October Diploma – the new imperial code – was proclaimed
ž1861 – February – a new the constitution was instroduced, it was the beginning of parliamentary
monarchy in the Habsburg Empire
ž
ž
ž
ž

ž1866 – Austrian-prussian war
oAustria was defeated
oAustria lost its influence in Italy and in Germany
ointernal weakness of Habsurg Monarchy was shown
oit was used by Hungarians – their representative count Julius Andrássy (1823–1890)
othey refused centralism but also federalism which proposed the Czech political representation
o
žso called „Ausgleich“ – a political compromise reached between Germans and Hungarians in Habsburg
Monarchy in 1867
othe empire was devided into two parts: the border was the river Leithan between Austria and
Hungary – the dual monarchy was established
vCisleithania (Austrian lands, Bohemia, Moravia, Galicia and Bukovina, Adriatic lands – Dalmacia,
Istria, Terst, Gorica) – domination of German nation
vTranslaithania (Hungary, Upper Hungary – Slovakia, Transylvania, Croatia, Slavonia, Rijeka) –
domination of Hungarian nation
ž

Austria-Hungary_map.svg.png
žEmpire of Austria (Cisleithania):
ž1.Bohemia,
ž2. Bukovina,
ž3. Carinthia,
ž4. Carniola,
ž5. Dalmatia,
ž6. Galicia,
ž7.Austrian Littoral,
ž8. Lower Austria,
ž9. Moravia,
ž10. Salzburg,
ž11. Silesia,
ž12. Styria,
ž13. Tyrol,
ž14. Upper Austria,
ž15. Vorarlberg;
ž
žKingdom of Hungary (Transleithania):
ž16. Hungary
ž17. Croatia-Slavonia;
ž
žAustrian Condominium:
ž18. Bosnia and Herzegovina
ž

žAustria-Hungary became an union of two states with different constitutions and political system
žthey had common ruler – the Emperor Franz Joseph I., common Ministry of War, Ministry of Finance,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
žthey were connected also economicaly – common currency, customs union
žcommon legislative organ for common issues
ž
žDifferent political develpment:
vAustria – 1867 – liberal constitution, parliament monarchy – the power of the ruler was limited by
parliament, the ministrers were responsible to the parliament which was approving the legislation
and the taxes
othe ruler was not responsible to parliament (the rest of absolutism)
vHungary – no liberalization but centralisation, the only Hungarian nation, the only official
language was hungarian, the other nations without any rights, high schools only in Hungarian
language etc.
ž

žthe Czech political representation was dissatisfied with the situation – the political rights of
Hungarians were accepted but of Czechs were not
žHungary obtained equality with Austria but the Bohemian Lands did not
žThe Bohemian politicians tried to change this situations many times but their politics were
unsuccesful
žThe Czech hopes for restoration of their political rights received a severe blow
žthey started so called passive politics – they were boycotting the parliament sitting and the
council meetings till 1878
žThen they adopted a new constructive political program
žthe new political leaders – Karel Kramář and Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk
ž
ž
ž

žReadings:
ž
žEvans, R. J. W. (ed.) (2000): The Revolutions in Europe 1848–1849. From Reform to Reaction.
Oxford.
žOkey, Robin (2001): The Habsburg Monarchy c. 1976–1918: From Enlightenment to Eclipse. London:
Macmillan Press LTD.
ž