The Restoration
When dealing with the period known as the "Restoration," one often uses the dates of 1815 to 1848. The Congress of Vienna, in 1815, signaled the start of the Restoration, and the Revolution of 1848 signaled the end. The question, however, is not "when was the Restoration," but "why was it called the Restoration." These dates are important in helping us determine what was restored, as we see 1815 bring an end to Napoleon's rule, and 1848 bring an end to the July Monarchy and touch off revolutions throughout Europe. After Napoleon's failed "One Hundred Days" return, every major European nation, from Austria, Russia, Britain and France to Portugal, Spain, and Sweden, got together at the Congress of Vienna in what was effectively the first European Union. What is worth note is that this meeting's goal was to "restore peace and stability to a Europe which had known neither for twenty years."1 This Congress ended up making changes to the existing political and societal landscape, which is not a "Restoration" at all; they did, however restore some semblance of peace in Europe. Very little in the way of reverting to the old form of government, either an autocracy or theocracy, or in terms of social norms, was actually restored; tha
A change that had more implications in respect to a centralization or consolidation of power came when the Rhine confederation was eliminated, and the numerous (around 1800) states were consolidated into the hands of a few people, forming 39 sovereigns. This created a more stable German society, as the few rulers could more easily be diplomats than could 1800 different people. Up to that point, internal strife within the various states caused disunity, and they could not deal with each other effectively. The problems stemmed from a lack of a substantial national identity, as previously mentioned; there was no common denominator linking the various peoples together. With the consolidation of power, however, we do see a rise or restoration of various leaders; the Pope regained the Papal States, Sicily and Naples were returned to Ferdinand I, 5 and the Austrian emperor became the hereditary head of the German Confederation. 6 Whether this period can be called a "Restoration" is still a question. While efforts were made to return to prosperity, a restoration of a stable society, the way that this harmony and stability was achieved was not by returning to the ways of the ancien regime, but rather by implementing new policies and ways of doing things. The only thing that was "restored" was the stability now present in the society. Really? Than why all the revolutions? What class is increasingly dominant? Religion? Nationalism? Notion of Rights? I feel that this period was more a revolution than a restoration. Instead of different people vying for the same power, people were beginning to concentrate on society as a whole; the common good was taken into consideration, and steps were taken to ensure an almost equal footing for all. Never before could serfs or peasants own land, as they could after the Restoration; civil rights were protected for the majority of people, not just those with money; transportation and trade improved, widening the scope of the economy; numerous small go
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Approximate Word count = 1353
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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