Tue, 24 Dec 2024 12:27:37 GMT
Close ✕
Eric Hobsbawm traces with brilliant anlytical clarity the transformation brought about in evry sphere of European life by the Dual revolution - the 1789 French revolution and the Industrial Revolution that originated in Britain. This enthralling and original account highlights the significant sixty years when industrial capitalism established itself in Western Europe and when Europe established the domination over the rest of the world it was to hold for half a century.
Chapter 1: The Ancien Régime
* Summary: Examines the social and political structure of Europe before the French Revolution, characterized by absolute monarchies, rigid social hierarchies, and economic inequality.
* Example: The French monarchy under Louis XVI, where the king held absolute power and the privileged classes (nobility and clergy) enjoyed vast wealth and privileges, while the vast majority of the population (peasants and commoners) lived in poverty.
Chapter 2: Enlightenment
* Summary: Explores the intellectual movement of the Enlightenment, which emphasized reason, individualism, and the importance of individual rights.
* Example: The writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who argued that all individuals are born equal and free and that legitimate governments must be based on the consent of the governed.
Chapter 3: The American Revolution
* Summary: Details the American Revolution, which began in 1776 and resulted in the independence of the United States from Great Britain.
* Example: The Declaration of Independence, which declared that "all men are created equal" and that they have "unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Chapter 4: The French Revolution
* Summary: Chronicles the French Revolution, which began in 1789 and overthrew the monarchy, leading to the establishment of a republic.
* Example: The storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, which marked the beginning of the armed insurrection and the overthrow of the royal authority.
Chapter 5: The Rise of Napoleon
* Summary: Explores the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, who became the First Consul of France in 1799 and later the Emperor in 1804.
* Example: Napoleon's victory at the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805, which established France as the dominant military power in Europe and expanded its borders.
Chapter 6: The Congress of Vienna
* Summary: Examines the Congress of Vienna, which convened in 1814-1815 to restore a balance of power in Europe after the Napoleonic Wars.
* Example: The creation of the German Confederation and the redrawing of European borders, aimed at preventing future French aggression and maintaining the status quo.
Chapter 7: Revolution and Repression in Europe
* Summary: Discusses the revolutions that erupted in Europe in 1848, inspired by the French Revolution and aimed at political and social reforms.
* Example: The March Revolutions in Germany, which led to the establishment of a National Assembly and a constitutional monarchy.
Chapter 8: The Unification of Italy and Germany
* Summary: Chronicles the unification of Italy and Germany in the mid-19th century, driven by nationalism and the desire to establish unified nation-states.
* Example: The Italian unification campaign, led by Giuseppe Garibaldi and Count Cavour, which resulted in the Kingdom of Italy being proclaimed in 1861.
