Frédéric Sorrieu vision of World
Frédéric Sorrieu, a French artist, in 1848 prepared a series of four prints visualising his dream of
a world made up of democratic and Social Republics.
1. The first print shows the people of Europe and America marching in a long train and
offering homage to the Statue of Liberty as they pass it. The torch of Enlightenment was
carried by a female figure in one hand and the Charter of the Rights of Man in the other.
2. On the earth in the foreground lie the shattered remains of the symbols of absolutist
institutions.
3. In Sorrieu’s utopian vision, the people of the world are grouped as distinct nations,
identified through their flags and national costume.
4. The procession was led by the United States and Switzerland, followed by France and
Germany. Following the German people are the people of Austria, the Kingdom of the
Two Sicilies, Lombardy, Poland, England, Ireland, Hungary and Russia.
5. From the heavens above, Christ, saints and angels gaze upon the scene. They have been
used by the artist to symbolise fraternity among the nations of the world.
During the nineteenth century, nationalism emerged as a force which brought huge changes in
the political and mental world of Europe. The end result of these changes was the emergence of
the nation-state.
The French Revolution and the Idea of the Nation
1. In 1789 Nationalism came with French Revolution and the political and constitutional
changes led to the transfer of sovereignty from the monarchy to a body of French
citizens. Various measures and practices were introduced such as the ideas of la patrie
(the fatherland) and le citoyen ( the citizen). A new French flag, the tricolour was chosen
to replace the former one.
2. Democracy destroyed in France by Napoleon and the Civil Code of 1804 known as
Napoleonic Code did away with all privileges based on birth, established equality before
the law and secured the right to property.
, The Making of Nationalism in Europe
Germany, Italy and Switzerland were divided into kingdoms, duchies and cantons whose rulers
had their autonomous territories.
The Aristocracy and the New Middle Class
The Aristocracy was the dominant class on the continent politically and socially. The majority of
the population was made up of the peasantry. Industrialisation began in England in the second
half of the eighteenth century. New social groups came into being: a working-class population
and middle classes made up of industrialists, businessmen, professionals.
What did Liberal Nationalism Stand for?
1. The term ‘liberalism’ derives from the Latin root liber, meaning free. The right to vote and
to get elected was granted exclusively to property-owning men. Men without property
and all women were excluded from political rights.
2. In 1834, a customs union or zollverein was formed at the initiative of Prussia and joined
by most of the German states. The union abolished tariff barriers and reduced the
number of currencies from over thirty to two.
A New Conservatism after 1815
In 1815, European governments were driven by a spirit of conservatism. Conservatives
believed in monarchy, the Church, social hierarchies, property and that the family should
be preserved.
Frédéric Sorrieu, a French artist, in 1848 prepared a series of four prints visualising his dream of
a world made up of democratic and Social Republics.
1. The first print shows the people of Europe and America marching in a long train and
offering homage to the Statue of Liberty as they pass it. The torch of Enlightenment was
carried by a female figure in one hand and the Charter of the Rights of Man in the other.
2. On the earth in the foreground lie the shattered remains of the symbols of absolutist
institutions.
3. In Sorrieu’s utopian vision, the people of the world are grouped as distinct nations,
identified through their flags and national costume.
4. The procession was led by the United States and Switzerland, followed by France and
Germany. Following the German people are the people of Austria, the Kingdom of the
Two Sicilies, Lombardy, Poland, England, Ireland, Hungary and Russia.
5. From the heavens above, Christ, saints and angels gaze upon the scene. They have been
used by the artist to symbolise fraternity among the nations of the world.
During the nineteenth century, nationalism emerged as a force which brought huge changes in
the political and mental world of Europe. The end result of these changes was the emergence of
the nation-state.
The French Revolution and the Idea of the Nation
1. In 1789 Nationalism came with French Revolution and the political and constitutional
changes led to the transfer of sovereignty from the monarchy to a body of French
citizens. Various measures and practices were introduced such as the ideas of la patrie
(the fatherland) and le citoyen ( the citizen). A new French flag, the tricolour was chosen
to replace the former one.
2. Democracy destroyed in France by Napoleon and the Civil Code of 1804 known as
Napoleonic Code did away with all privileges based on birth, established equality before
the law and secured the right to property.
, The Making of Nationalism in Europe
Germany, Italy and Switzerland were divided into kingdoms, duchies and cantons whose rulers
had their autonomous territories.
The Aristocracy and the New Middle Class
The Aristocracy was the dominant class on the continent politically and socially. The majority of
the population was made up of the peasantry. Industrialisation began in England in the second
half of the eighteenth century. New social groups came into being: a working-class population
and middle classes made up of industrialists, businessmen, professionals.
What did Liberal Nationalism Stand for?
1. The term ‘liberalism’ derives from the Latin root liber, meaning free. The right to vote and
to get elected was granted exclusively to property-owning men. Men without property
and all women were excluded from political rights.
2. In 1834, a customs union or zollverein was formed at the initiative of Prussia and joined
by most of the German states. The union abolished tariff barriers and reduced the
number of currencies from over thirty to two.
A New Conservatism after 1815
In 1815, European governments were driven by a spirit of conservatism. Conservatives
believed in monarchy, the Church, social hierarchies, property and that the family should
be preserved.
