German, Austrian, and Italian Conservatism

Austrian

Conservatism

German Conservatism

Conservatives in Germany became popular in response to nationalism liberalism. It was mainly supported by the traditional ruling classes and peasants.

Austrian Conservatism in the 19th Century was characterized by the reactionary rule of Metternich, the Carlsbad Decrees of 1819, and the Defeat of Revolutions of 1848-49

Italian Conservatism

In the early 1800s, Northern Italy was largely dominated by a Conservative Austria. From the early 1830s to the late 1840s, the movement was characterized by the Austria defeat of the Revolutions of 1848-49. Nationalism was politically impotent. Additionally this movement gave rise to works such as Syllabus of Errors, 1864 by Pope Pius IX.

German, Austrian, and Italian Conservatism

Final Thoughts

Conservatives held back parts of Europe for a while because they were afraid of change and wanted to keep the monarchy in place. Eventually, the countries realized they needed to move in new directions in order to progress, and this meant Conservatism widely began to become a thing of the past.

Carlsbad Decrees

Metternich reacted to the Burschenschaften (liberal university students) by putting laws in place to expand the censorship of the press, getting rid of liberal professors

and nationalist fraternities.

Hayden Rigby and Lauren Gaines

Conservative's part in the unification of Germany

Metternich

Bismarck

Revolutions of 1848-49

Klemens von Metternich represented Austria in the Congress of Vienna. He epitomized conservative reaction and opposed the ideas of liberals because of the effect they would have on the multinational Hapsburg Empire. Metternich's conservatism was supported by traditional ruling classes and peasants who still formed majority of the population

Chancellor Otto von Bismarck was a huge supporter of conservatism in Germany. He came up with "The Gap Theory", which proposed that if there is a stalemate between the king and the legislator that the king should just follow his judgement.

The Revolutions of 1848-49 had a profound impact on Italy. In 1848, Milan, Lombardy, and Venetia expelled Austrian rulers in favor of Nationalism and Liberalism. Sardinia-Piedmont declared war on Austria. Pope Pius was forced to flee Rome. Ultimately, the revolutions failed due to lack of rural support, discord among revolutionaries, fear of radicals, and lack of leadership.

Syllabus of Errors, 1964

Revolutions of 1848-49

The Revolutions of 1848-49 resulted in the end of serfdom in Austria and Germany and the downfall of Metternich, but because the Revolutions were quickly squashed by the Austrian government, it was considered a failure

Written by Pope Pius IX, Syllabus of Errors was widely regarded as an attack by the church on modernism, secularization and the political emancipation of Europe from the tradition of Catholic Monarchies.

"The teaching of the Catholic Church is hostile to the well- being and interests of society." _ Pope Pius IX