Economic Growth and Revolution: 18th and 19th Century Europe
Economic Growth in Catalonia: 18th Century
The 18th century was, for Catalonia, a period of economic and demographic growth, despite the abolition of its institutions. The Catalan population doubled between 1717 and 1797, reaching nearly one million inhabitants.
Catalonia and the Spanish Enlightenment
Spanish intellectuals, concerned about the decline of Spain after the crisis of the Habsburg Empire, set economic growth and the spread of education as their main goals.
Causes of the French Revolution
In 1789, France found itself in a deep economic and social crisis. Since 1760, there had been a series of bad harvests that led to a rise in food prices and popular discontent.
The Beginning of the Revolution: 1789
The French Revolution began with a revolt of the aristocracy. The privileged refused to pay taxes and demanded that Louis XVI convene the Estates-General, the only body that could approve a tax reform.
The End of the Ancien Régime
The people of Paris supported the representatives of the Third Estate. Fearing that royal troops would detain the deputies, on July 14th, they assaulted the fortress of the Bastille, took weapons, and prepared to defend the revolutionary process by force.
Phases of the Revolution
- Constitutional Monarchy (1789-1792): Supported by the conservative middle class, who aspired to reach an agreement with the King.
- Democratic Republic (1792-1794): Driven by the radical bourgeoisie and popular sectors.
- Bourgeois Republic (1794-1799): Represented a return to power of the conservative bourgeoisie.
Constitutional Monarchy: The Reform Process
In the autumn of 1789, the King and nobility accepted the new situation, and the country was temporarily pacified.
Various Political Options
The reforms in the period 1789-1791 satisfied bourgeois groups because they granted political rights and economic freedom.
The Failure of Constitutional Monarchy
The royal family’s opposition to the revolution became manifest following their flight from Paris to join the Austrian army.
The Democratic Republic (1792-1794)
Girondin Convention
The Republic was in the hands of the Girondins, who called elections by universal male suffrage for the new National Convention.
Jacobin Convention
In June 1793, the Jacobins achieved power and arrested the main Girondin political leaders.
The Fall of the Jacobins
By the summer of 1794, risks had decreased: internal revolts had been suppressed, and the French army was prevailing against the foreign coalition.
The Bourgeois Republic (1794-1799)
After a coup d’état, the conservative bourgeoisie returned to take control of the revolution. A new constitution was formulated that granted executive power to a collegiate government.
The Europe of the Restoration
The victorious states of Napoleon met, between 1814 and 1815, at the proposal of the Austrian Chancellor Metternich, in the Congress of Vienna.
Liberalism
Liberalism is a political system that encourages the individual in society. Therefore, the state must guarantee the rights and fundamental freedoms of all people.
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that holds the right of peoples to decide for themselves and defend their sovereignty.