European revolutions of 1830 and 1848 and World War I

Europe Revolutions 1830,1848; WWI

The origins of the WW1, the war which "had to solve the problems of all nations" started to appear already in the middle of the nineteenth century, even before the revolutionary events of 1830 in Europe. The nature of such changes can be simply explained by the decline of Ottoman Empire and Austria-Hungary. The feudal relations and feudal mode of production, if to be more specific, prevented these two states from progressive development and as the result started to develop social unrest in society. As these states had very favorable geographic position, which made them the buffer zone between Western Europe and East (Russia, Middle Asia), they could definitely succeed in economical development through trade, transportation and development of industry.

But it didn't take place in both empires referred as "the prisons of nations," as historians called them. Social processes, which led to the revolutions, were basically caused by restrictions and limitations of international trade, ineffective legislature that prevented country from industrialization and integration into world trade. The class of businessmen, or bourgeoisie, didn't have strong positions in government and that's why could not defend its interests and interests of free business. Besides existing feudalism and absolute monarchy, there existed a national appraisal of oppressed nations, which lived on the territories of these empires. Because the interests of different social groups even of one nation were quite different, there was no unity as well as there was no national idea. Still the role of the revolutions of 1830-1832 is great, as they formed the basis for the future development of national movement, with a purpose of liberation and establishment of sovereign states. According to Britannica encyclopedia "Revolutions of 1830" are used to define "rebellions against conservative kings and governments by liberals and revolutionaries in different parts of Europe in 1830-32." As I have already told, their failure was explained by prematurity and lack of organization. Odd revolts took place in Poland, German and Italian kingdoms, but all them failed as they were cruelly suppressed by the governments. Poland was annexed by Russian Empire, but Belgium succeeded in separation from the Netherlands, and so did Greece, in struggle against Turkey as it was recognized to be independent state in 1832.

The new wave of revolutions, that shocked France, Italy and Austria-Hungary, was a more organized struggle for political liberties, independence and democracy. Starting in France, by overthrowing king Louis Philippe, it spread on the Italian states and reached the territories of Austria-Hungary. Still the results of these revolutions were quite contradictive: France gained political freedoms for a short period of time, Italy was unified by monarchy was established, Austria-Hungary held political reforms against feudalism survivals, but in fact the very purposes were not realized. But their ideological role was vital, as their results led to the popularization of nationalist ideas in Europe, cultural unification of oppressed nations and further struggle for freedoms.

Since the mile of the nineteenth century European community had understood that nation could develop only under the ideas of nationalism, liberties and independence within the state, where people live, and where their interests and aspirations are reflected in current legislature. At the same time, nationalism in different European states gained radical features, such as expansion, superiority over other nations and struggle for new territories, markets and zones of economical and political interest. From one side these were colonial interests of European superpowers, with liberal governments as France and Great Britain, who were entering the new age in their development called imperialism and from the other side there were "old-fashioned" monarchies who saw the only way to prosperity in conquest and colonialism. The first case that brought these contradictions to surface was a Crimean War, when Russian and declining Ottoman Empire with allies in the face of Britain and France fought for domination in Black sea, then it was Berlin congress, which finished Russo-Turkish war of 1876-1878.