What Was The Difference Between Absolutism And Conservatism

After the defeat of Napoleon, at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, Europe had become engulfed in a war of political ideology pitting conservatism versus liberalism. Conservatism was a more traditionalist view held by leaders, like Metternich, and were for a more subservient populace to the authority. Conservatives further believed the government should be held by the elite class and were strongly against liberal demands for civil liberties. Liberals were a product of the enlightenment which swept over Europe as well as inspired both the French and American Revolutions, which had recently occurred. The liberals were also inspired by the actions of Napoleon, who had traveled across Europe taking down monarchies and replacing them with Republics. This action prompted
the liberals to move toward more revolutionary activity and caused the conservatives to have counter revolutions in reaction. The conservatives of Europe agreed to meet at the congress of Vienna, where they decided to protect the monarchs of Europe and tried to prevent the Liberals from gaining political control in any part of Europe.
For instance, after the defeat of the French forces at Waterloo, the congress replaced the republic with a monarchy. Another example in Spain, the monarchy was under attack by revolutionary forces. The congress ordered the French to send in an army to restore the monarchy despite protest by the British. The congress would send Austrians to defeat Italian revolutionary forces as well as let Austria and Russia crush a Hungarian revolution. This idea of using forces of the member countries of the county stemmed from the principle of intervention. The principle of intervention was free range for congress members to act with force in their own, neighboring, or allied countries in order to crush a revolutionary force and restore the countries monarch. All members, except Britain, concurred with this principle throughout all of Europe, however, both the British and Americans prevented this ideology from spreading to Central and South America where the colonies were revolting to keep huge empires from
forming.
Additionally, there was heavy debate between conservatives and liberals on how the government should handle the countries economy. Liberals believed in a more classical economy and the belief in the laissez-faire, which is the belief the state should not interfere with the flow of the market. The Liberals further thought the government should serve only for three primary purposes; defense of the country, police protection, and the construction and maintenance of public works which were too expensive for the individual. The conservatives wanted the elite class, who were also in control of the government, to be able to operate the market and set the prices as they wanted. One of the spokespersons for the Liberal economic views was Thomas Malthus, who wrote Essay on the Principles of Population. He stated that overpopulation and starvation was inevitable and it was the law of nature that no one should interfere Spielvogel 634). Above all else, was the Liberal fight for civil liberties which was denied to them by the conservative leadership. John Stuart Mill, an English philosopher, was one of the most outspoken persons in support of the individual’s liberties publishing a book titled On Liberty. Mill was a key piece to expanding the Liberalism fight not just for men, but women as well who were seen as lesser to the conservative traditionalist. He argued his point in the book Subjection of Women. One of Mills most famous arguments was “absolute freedom of opinion and sentiment on all subjects” had to be protected from the government censorship along with majority’s tyranny (Spielvogel 635). The political divide between conservatives and Liberals is the main cause for all the conflict in Europe throughout the early to mid-1800s.