The West in the World, 4th Edition (Sherman)Chapter 18:
Coping with ChangeChapter Summaries
As the political and social changes brought by the French Revolution and industrial revolution threatened the established order, the forces of European conservatism tried to hold them back. Austria, Prussia, and Russia were especially intent on preserving monarchies and political power in the hands of the traditional ruling class. After the Congress of Vienna, which reflected their conservative view of the international political order, European leaders also faced threats to the domestic political, social, and economic order. Ideologies of liberalism, socialism, and nationalism, which arose as a consequence of and to explain the changes Europe was experiencing, challenged these conservative notions. Culminating in a wave of revolution in 1848, the influence of these ideologies brought only short-lived changes at this time, as reforms were pushed back in Austria and Prussia. Even France was set on a course that would bring down the Second Republic. The British government, however, having legislated earlier reforms, escaped this brief period of revolution. Nonetheless, the revolutions of 1848 left important legacies, as traditional life continued to change.
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