Comparison Of The French Revolution And The Napoleonic Wars

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The French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars had spread the concept of democracy to most of the European continent and the idea that the people who share an ethnic origin, language and political ideals had the right to form independent states. However, the principle of national self-determination was totally ignored by dynastic and reactionary forces. Many of the people who wanted autonomy were subject to local dynasties or other nations. For example, the German states, integrated in the German Confederation, were divided into numerous duchies, principalities and kingdoms under the terms of the Congress of Vienna; Italy was also divided into several political units, some of which were under foreign control; the French Belgian of the Austrian