Napoleonic Era and the Congress of Vienna

The French Revolution left a powerful legacy for world history: secular society, nationalism, and democratic ideas. Napoleon exploited the changes after the French revolution to install himself as the leader of the country. Napoleon’s attempts to unify Europe under French domination were unsuccessful, but he did leave an important legacy. His Napoleonic Code allowed greater freedoms and rights for people. He also awakened feelings of national pride in the territories that he conquered. In many countries, national pride, economic competition, and democratic ideals stimulated the growth of nationalism among citizens. Nationalism was a powerful force behind European politics during the nineteenth century.

Episode of the September Days 1830 (on the Grand Place of Brussels) by Gustave Wappers

The Congress of Vienna tried to turn back the clock in Europe to the way it was before the French Revolution and the Napoleonic conquests. The legacy of the Congress of Vienna included a “balance of power” doctrine, and the restoration of monarchies, as well as a new political map of Europe. The political ideas of liberalism and conservatism also developed and divided political classes in Europe.

The terms of the Congress of Vienna, in combination with widespread demands for political rights, led to discontent throughout Europe. This ultimately resulted in more revolutions and legislative actions. The unsuccessful revolutions of 1848 increased these nationalistic tensions. The Italian and German states revolted again and eventually united as unified countries. In contrast to continental Europe, the United Kingdom expanded political rights through legislative means and made slavery illegal in the British Empire, thereby avoiding the revolutions that plagued the continent.