Western Civilization - History Of European Society

The Defense of the Old Regime, 1815–48 475

units to crush the French and Belgian revolutions. The
Sejmdeclared Polish independence in January 1831.
Nicholas decided that “the Poles must be made happy
in spite of themselves” and sent a Russian army of
115,000 to teach them happiness. After the defeat of
the Polish army at Ostrolenka and the fall of Warsaw,
Poland was reunited with Russia. Nicholas I then exac-
erbated Polish nationalism with his retribution: Military
tribunals convicted eighty thousand Poles of rebellion
and the army marched them to Siberia in chains; a pro-
gram of Russification ended all official use of the Polish
language and closed the universities at Warsaw and
Vilna; the Polish army, the Polish constitution, and the
Polish Diet were all abolished.
Historians do not normally list Britain among the
revolutions of 1830. Nonetheless, Britain experienced
revolutionary activity in 1830–32. Rural violence,
known as the Captain Swing Riots, began in Kent and
covered southeastern Britain. Farm workers protested
their poverty by burning hayricks and smashing the
new threshing machines (the name Captain Swingcame
from the swinging flail used in hand threshing). More

riots followed at Bristol, Nottingham, and Derby in

1831. The British may have avoided a revolution
      when Parliament conceded reforms that the liberal
      middle classes wanted, thus preventing the alliance of
      propertied classes with revolutionary workers that had
      toppled Charles X in France. Thomas Macaulay, an
      eloquent leader of British liberalism, warned Parliament
      that “great and terrible calamities” were imminent. The
      House of Commons, Macaulay insisted, must “reform
      that you may survive.” Parliament did adopt a series of
      historic reforms, which perpetuated its image as a
      model of representative government—notably the Re-
      form (of Parliament) Bill of 1832, the Factory Act of
      1833 (regulating hours and conditions), and the Aboli-
      tion of Slavery Act of 1834.
      The revolutions of 1830 are important for addi-
      tional reasons beyond the struggles for national inde-
      pendence or liberal constitutions. They showed the
      beginnings of important new social movements that
      would shape the nineteenth century. The best known
      of these is the rise of working class radicalism; the
      events of 1830 (especially in Paris) provided a preview

CHRONOLOGY 24.1

The Revolutions of 1830

Dates Country Events Results

July 1830–August 1830

August 1830–December 1832

September 1830–June 1832

November 1830–February 1832

February 1831–January 1832

1831

France

Belgium

German states

Poland

Italian states

Switzerland

Paris rebels over “July

Ordinances,” 1830; King

Charles X abdicates

Brussels rebels against

Dutch rule, 1830; Belgian,

declaration of indepe-

dence, 1830; Belgian

constitution, 1831

Rulers dethroned, 1830;

constitutions granted,

1831

Revolt versus Russia,

1830; Sejmdeclares Polish

independence, 1831

Administrative conces-

sions by pope

Demonstrations in Swiss

cities, 1831

Revised constitution, 1830;

King Louis-Philippe, 1830

Dutch army shells Antwerp,

French army expels

Dutch army from Belgium,

1832; London Conferences

recognize Belgium, 1830–32

Metternichian “Six Articles”

restore old order, 1832

Russian army suppresses revolt,

1831; Polish constitution abol-

ished, 1832

Austrian army suppresses

revolt, 1831–33

Ten cantons adopt liberal

constitutions, 1831–33