The Big Picture |

After the revolutionary upheavals of the Age of Ideologies, nationalist leaders began to search for more realistic approaches to unification or separation. Led by Cavour in Italy and Bismarck in Prussia, politicians utilized the concept of realpolitik to craft plans to further the aims of their people. In the end, Germany became unified, Italy became unified, and Hungary gained its semi-independence.
At the same time, the continuing plight of workers in the industrial age gave rise to a new brand of socialism, which was best exemplified by the ideas of Karl Marx. Moving away from the utopian ideals of guys like Fourier and Owen, Marx called for a radical revolution leading to a classless society, a concept that appealed to workers throughout Europe and that still resonates with academics and social activists today.
Science continued to further the improvement of medical practices and the understanding of how human societies worked. Public health improved in cities, as disease was attacked and, at times, eradicated. However, many traditional medical practices remained in use.
Finally, the artistic and literary movement of Romanticism, like the political revolutions of 1848, faded in to a time of Realism. Artists and writers increasingly sought to depict the real lives of ordinary Europeans, reflecting the successes of realpolitik and the increasing importance of the everyday European in the larger society.
Whew! That's a lot for one unit of study. But there are some great stories here, so enjoy them. They raise great questions about the nature of politics and the effect political decisions have on the lives of ordinary people. They beg the question of whether the ends really justify the means and what constitutes justifiable ends. Good luck!
At the same time, the continuing plight of workers in the industrial age gave rise to a new brand of socialism, which was best exemplified by the ideas of Karl Marx. Moving away from the utopian ideals of guys like Fourier and Owen, Marx called for a radical revolution leading to a classless society, a concept that appealed to workers throughout Europe and that still resonates with academics and social activists today.
Science continued to further the improvement of medical practices and the understanding of how human societies worked. Public health improved in cities, as disease was attacked and, at times, eradicated. However, many traditional medical practices remained in use.
Finally, the artistic and literary movement of Romanticism, like the political revolutions of 1848, faded in to a time of Realism. Artists and writers increasingly sought to depict the real lives of ordinary Europeans, reflecting the successes of realpolitik and the increasing importance of the everyday European in the larger society.
Whew! That's a lot for one unit of study. But there are some great stories here, so enjoy them. They raise great questions about the nature of politics and the effect political decisions have on the lives of ordinary people. They beg the question of whether the ends really justify the means and what constitutes justifiable ends. Good luck!
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Homework Assignments
Assignment 1: Napoleon III
Assignment 2: Italian Unification
Assignment 3: German Unification
Assignment 4: National Reform
Assignment 5: Marxism
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Assignment 6: Scientific Advances
Assignment 7: Realism
Assignment 8: Review for TestPrimary SourcesLouis Napoleon, Proclamation to the People, 1851
Otto von Bismarck, Speech to the Prussian Reichstag, 1862 Otto von Bismarck, Speech to the German Reichstag, 1888 London Times article on Giuseppe Garibaldi, June 13, 1860 Tsar Alexander II, Imperial Decree, March 3, 1861 Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man The First Public Demonstration of Ether Anesthesia, 1846 Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary |