Intro

In the early 19th century, a conservative order was established in an attempt to

restore Europes legitimate rulers. All the Great Powers except Great Britain,
attempted to intervene in governments to restore the old order. But two ideologies
Liberalism and Nationalism wouldnt stand for the conservatives interventions.
Liberalism
Liberals were held together by the belief that people should be as free from
restraint as possible. Economic liberalism embraced the concept of laissez-faire,
or the idea that the government should not intervene in the economics whatsoever.
Economic liberalists also argued that the governments only functions were defense,
police protection of individuals, and the construction and maintenance of
expensive public places.
Political Liberalism embraced the idea that people had basic rights such as freedom
of assembly, speech, press, and arbitrary arrest. Political liberals also believed that

these rights should be guaranteed with a bill of rights, that there should be a
separation of church and state, and that the governments powers should be
limited by a legislature. In spite of thinking all people were entitled to civil rights,
political liberalists generally thought that only men should be allowed vote.
Nationalism
The other ideology that opposed conservatism was nationalism. Nationalists
believed that a group of people belong to their nation rather than to a political
boundary. That is, Nationalists were loyal to only their own culture, and believed that
they should be able to form their own nation. This was extremely threatening to the
idea of conservatism, as it entailed restoring old leaders to political boundaries that
were often divided. This was the case in Germany, where the German minority and
Hungarians each viewed themselves as individual nations.
Closing
These two ideologies in tandem attempted to reject the conservatism movement that
was being so heavily pushed during the 19th century. However, in Poland, Russia,
and Germany, liberalist and nationalist revolutions failed. In France, the liberalist
idea of universal manhood suffrage was established, but conflict between
socialists and republicans caused it to fail. In Germany too, the nationalists failed
when the Frankfurt Assembly, in an attempt to create a unified Germany, failed.
Uprisings also failed in Italy against the Austrian Government. Although having
seemed to fail on almost all fronts, both liberalism and nationalism would have a
lasting effect on Europe.