Western History 139: What were the political implications of the French Revolution on the politics of Europe?

There were a number of implications all of which are worthy of further consideration. Here are some of the key ones :

• The growth of nationalism as a political force - Revolutions based on the Nationalist argument would grip Europe in 1830 and 1848 (impetus eventually for German and Italian unification);
• Spread of Liberalism throughout the continent (the initial phase of the Revolution was liberal it turned regressive later)- Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (1789)was a positive driver;
• The formalization of Left and Right as political constructs (these have their origin in the French Revolution);
• The Napoleonic Era that followed plunged Europe into a period of continuous war that lasted from the late 18th century until his defeat at Waterloo in 1815 - Napoleon also created an early version of the Modern police state ;
• The beginning of the demise of formalized aristocracy in the European power structure;
• The outgrowth of Bourgeoisie politics and the influence of the educated middle class;
• Promotion of an anti-clerical thinking across the continent;
• Further cementing of Balance of Power alliances that would continue until WWI;
• Excesses of the Reign of Terror revealed the dangers of an unchecked far leftism;
• Women’s rights were given a platform during the French Revolution that would gain traction continent wise;
• It showed the folly of placing ideology ahead of pragmatism (not all would learn this lesson unfortunately);
• It provided a go ahead to remove ossified political/administrative structures that in the long term would help seed the grounds for meritocracy across the continent (by no means an immediate process).

Liberty leading the People source: theculturetrip.com