POLI 212 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Long Nineteenth Century, Franco-Prussian War, Democratic Consolidation
17 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
POLI 212 - Government & Politics - Developed World
01/10/2018 - Lecture 1
Topic 1: The Historical Stage: Is Democracy Europe’s Birthright?
The Long 19th Century
● Begins in 1789 and ends in 1945
● Establishing a historical narrative of how Europe developed politically
○ Where you start this narrative is important
● 1789 and 1945 tell us about the logic of this time period
○ 1789: French Revolution
○ 1945: Military defeat of national socialism, the Nazis, and fascism
● Long 19th century ridden with recurring domestic political instability and interstate war
○ Key features of long 19th century
○ 1789: French Revolution
■ In a sense a kind of democratic transition
■ Exit from old regime of France towards a democratic alternative
■ Real important challenge was not general democracy but republicanism
■ French Revolution introduces republican alternatives to both France and to
European society at large
● Embedded in this is political principle that pits republics against
monarchies
● Challenge to the principle of monarchy at large
■ To republicans old regimes were something to be replaced but
constitutional monarchs were not the solution
○ 1815: conclusion of Napoleonic Wars
■ Relatively comprehensive peace settlement
● Settles relations and territorial disputes between nations after war
● Still sought to protect and consolidate principles of old regimes ie.
monarchs
○ 1848: wave of republican challenges to old regimes across Europe
■ In large measure they fail
■ Note that Republican principle in France took a long time to be accepted
as legitimate principle of French government
● French Revolution can be seen as civil war between the party of
order and the party of movement
○ 1870-1871: marks Franco Prussian War
■ Also marks transition to the third republic in France
● This beings long march toward republican and democratic
consolidation in France
○ 1917: Russian Revolution
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Poli 212 - government & politics - developed world. Begins in 1789 and ends in 1945. Establishing a historical narrative of how europe developed politically. Where you start this narrative is important. 1789 and 1945 tell us about the logic of this time period. 1945: military defeat of national socialism, the nazis, and fascism. Long 19th century ridden with recurring domestic political instability and interstate war. In a sense a kind of democratic transition. Exit from old regime of france towards a democratic alternative. Real important challenge was not general democracy but republicanism. French revolution introduces republican alternatives to both france and to. Embedded in this is political principle that pits republics against monarchies. Challenge to the principle of monarchy at large. To republicans old regimes were something to be replaced but constitutional monarchs were not the solution. Settles relations and territorial disputes between nations after war. Still sought to protect and consolidate principles of old regimes ie. monarchs.
