Liberalism and Revolution:
Europe and Latin America
Essential Question
What factors must exist in a country for liberalism to succeed?
Is a middle class an essential ingredient for liberalism?
Readings
Prentice Hall - Chapters 4, 6 ,12; Western Tradition - Chapters 6, 8, 9; Handouts
Objectives
Students will:
In Europe
- define the terms: liberal, conservative, radical, reactionary
- apply 19th century political philosophy to chronological history
- recognize the struggle of liberal ideas and their implementation in the first fifty years of the 1800s.
- describe the period of revolution and the conservative attempts to maintain control
-what is the relationship between nationalism and liberalism/democracy?
- what factors are necessary for a liberal revolution to succeed?
In Latin America
- describe the major independence movements in Latin America including: Haiti, Mexico, Brazil, Central America and other South American countries
- to describe how Bolivar and San Martin ended Spanish rule
- to articulate the role that Native Americans and mestizos played in achieving independence
- show how Brazil’s liberation differed from other countries
- interpret the independence movements’ outcomes
- relate the influence of the Enlightenment, Napoleonic Wars, European and U.S. foreign policy on Latin America
- analyze why Latin American countries have had a history of undemocratic rule
Study Questions
PART I: NAPOLEON
1. How did Napoleon grow out of the French Revolution?
2. What were Napoleon’s major accomplishments?
3. What does Napoleon mean when he says, “I am the Revolution”?
4. It is said that Napoleon’s new government was “rule for the people, but not by the people.” Why do you believe Napoleon wanted his government this way? How is this different than the way the U.S. government is structured?
5. Compare and contrast Napoleon’s Civil Code and the U.S. Bill of Rights. How are they different and how are they similar? Where do you see Enlightenment ideas in each?
6. How should Napoleon and his policies be understood? Is Napoleon best viewed as a moderate defender of he French Revolution, an enlightened despot in the 18th century tradition, or as the first of the modern dictators?
PART II: REACTION AND REVOLUTION - The Age of Metternich and the Years of Revolutions.
1. Identify the following and relate to the unit of study A) Liberalism; B) Reactionary; C) Conservative; D) Radical D) Congress of Vienna ; E) Balance of power; F) Concert of Europe; G) Metternich System; H) Nationalism I) Universal Suffrage J) Decembrist Revolt K) “Autocracy, Orthodoxy, Nationalism”
2. What were the goals of the Congress o f Vienna? How did the Congress of Vienna represent nineteenth century conservatism?
3. What challenges did the Congress of Vienna face?
4. How did he social and cultural changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution result in the spread of liberalism?
5. In what ways did Britain handle liberal demands differently than other European countries?
6. What were four ways that Russia maintained its conservatism from 1800-1853?
7. How did liberal and nationalistic aspirations express themselves in the Austrian Empire? With what results?
8. How did the Italians attempt to achieve independence and unity in 1848? With what results?
9. What factors accounted for the failure of the revolutions in 1848? What lessons could be drawn from the 1848 failures? What impact did these failures have upon the specific c country and upon Europe in general?
PART III: LATIN AMERICA
1. Define each of the following terms and relate to the unit of study: A) creole elites B) mestizos C) peninsulares D) caudillo E) American Indian F) slave G) Monroe Doctrine F) United Provinces of Central America G) Gran Colombia H) mulattos I) caudillo
2. Identify each of the following individuals and relate him/her to the unit of study A) Napoleon Bonaparte B) Toussaint L’ Ouveture C) President James Monroe D) Miguel Hidalgo E) Jose Maria Morelos F) Jose de San Martin G) Simon Bolivar H) Dom Pedro I) Santa Anna
3. How did the Napoleonic wars provide an opportunity for change in Latin America?
4. What caused the creoles in South America to rebel against Spain?
5. What role did Dom Pedro play in Brazil’s independence?
6. Who role did Agustin de Iturbide play in the independence of Mexico and of the countries of Central America?
7. Why did the British oppose the return of European domination to Latin America?
8. Why didn’t eliminating European domination from Latin America bring about significant economic or social change?
9. Why did the ownership of large plots of land prevent economic development and social progress in Latin America?
10. How may the construction of the Panama Canal represent both positive and negative aspects of American involvement in Latin America?
11. Simon Bolivar is considered to be the George Washington of South America. Do you think this is a fair comparison? Why? Which man had a more difficult task? Which man was more successful?
12. What is the weakness of caudillos as a system of government? How could the legacy of this form of government lead into the turbulent history of 20th century in Latin America?
13. How did the political and social order in the Spanish colonies impact the revolutionary movements in those locations?
14. Why were the revolutionary movements in Latin America not truly democratic? Why did independence not bring about significant economic or social change?
15. How did the lack of industrialization hinder democratic movements in Latin America?
16. What challenges to democracy do present-day Latin American countries face? How are these challenges tied to the nineteenth century revolutionary movements?
PART III: NATIONALISM
1. Define each of the following terms and relate to the unit of study: A) Nation, B) State; C) Nationality; D) Nationalism; E) Submerged Nationality F) Liberal Nationalism
2. Explain under what circumstances nationalism can act as a positive force in a constructive way. What are the advantages and disadvantages of nationalism? Why do nationalism and democracy sometimes come into conflict with each other?
3. Identify each of the following persons and relate them to the unit:
A) Cavour, Garibaldi, Mazzini, Victor Emmanuel II,
B) Bismarck, Kaiser William II, Franz Joseph
4. Define each of the following terms and explain their importance to the unit of study:
A) Young Italy, Red Shirts, Il Risorgimento, “Roman Question”, Ghelfs, Temporal Power, Italia Irredenta,
B) Zollverein, Confederation of the Rhine, German Confederation, north German Confederation, Frankfurt Assembly, Volksgeist, Blood and Iron, Junkers, Ems Dispatch, Treaty of Frankfurt, Kulterkampf
5. List three factors favoring and three factors opposing Italian unification in the 19th century.
6. Describe the problems Italy faced upon unification in 1870.
7. List three factors favoring and three factors opposing German unification in the 19th century.
9. Explain the effect of the Frankfurt Assembly upon the unification of Germany.
10. How did the Germans try and achieve a liberal, united state? What was the significance of the Zollverein and the Frankfurt Assembly
11. Identify each of the following and explain their role in the German government: A)Kaiser; B) Chancellor; C) Reichstag; E) State governments.
12. What was the major difference between the unification of Italy and Germany?
13. What was the “Nightmare Coalition” and what did Bismarck do to try and prevent it?
14. Explain why Bismarck fell from power and how German policy changed after his dismissal.
15. Define each of the following and relate to conditions in the Austrian Empire during the 19th century: A) Ausgleich, B) Dual Monarchy; C) Tribalism D) Serbia.
16. What was the major problem faced by the Dual Monarchy and how was it handled?