The Revolution of 1861: The American Civil War in the Age of Nationalist Conflict

Civil War America

by Andre Fleche

It was no coincidence that the Civil War occurred during an age of violent political upheaval in Europe and the Americas. Grounding the causes and philosophies of the Civil War in an international context, Andre M. Fleche examines how questions of national self-determination, race, class, and labor the world over influenced American interpretations of the strains on the Union and the growing differences between North and South. Setting familiar events in an international context, Fleche enlarges our understanding of nationalism in the nineteenth century, with startling implications for our understanding of the Civil War.

Genres: History, American History, Civil War, American Civil War, Nonfiction

204 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2012

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be required reading for all high school civics classes. The author makes the argument that international events played a major role in the conduct of the Civil War. He goes on to relate how this came to be. The narrative was succinct and flowed very smoothly. Also, a shout out to my local library's inter-library loan program for getting me a copy of this book in a timely manner. We should all do our part to patronize local libraries.

[Sean Mccarrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been waiting for a book like this to come out for the past couple of years. I think it's a wonderful idea to incorporate class structure and the revolutions of 1848 into a history of the Civil War. To be honest though, there were some parts where I felt like the author was repeating himself over and over. But over all it was a great read and I would highly recommend it in order to rethink what you know about the Civil War.

[Alexander Berkman III · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been wanting to read something that connects the 1848 revolutions to the Civil War for quite some time and, in the meantime, I’ve done a lot of research into the direct ties via immigrants from Germany, Hungary, etc and their contributions, especially to the Union effort. With that said, I was dismayed by how limited this book was, compared to what it could be. As other reviewers have noted, it became very repetitive—I think at a certain point just to fill pages and make this a proper book rather than an essay. But it becomes obvious and rather tedious to read the same points belabored over and over, especially when there could be more to examine in the nature of the 1848 revolutions themselves, or the complicated contributions to party cleavages that revolutionary European immigrants brought to 1850s US politics.

By my estimation, the world is still waiting for that excellent book that dives into these links and dynamics of the mid-19th century. One could paint a deep and illustrious picture of how the world got just a little smaller at that critical moment in history of revolution, civil war, slave rebellion, class war, the slow death of feudal class structures in Europe and the US, Karl Marx, Abe Lincoln, and Radical Republicans.

[Stuart]

This is an excellent exploration of the philosophical ties that connected both sides’ sense of nationalism within the context of European revolutionary times. It certainly gave me whole new insights into the mindsets of the era.

[Chase Nickel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Provides excellent insight on the global implications of the American Civil War.

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for comps

[Mitchell Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andre Fleche set out to present the American Civil War in a global context in The Revolution of 1861: The American Civil War in the Age of Nationalist Conflict. This interesting take presented the war with other upheavals of the 1800s -- most notably the 1848 revolutions in Europe. He began this research with the goal of moving past the "parochial vision" of the Civil War which so many scholars hold. This broad view of the Civil War allowed the reader to grasp the underlying sentiments many Americans had at the time relating their struggle with those of Europe.

Fleche managed to excellently present the vantage points of America's immigrants -- mainly from Ireland, Italy, and the German states. Using these new American citizens, he was able to convey their thoughts on the American Civil War related to their home countries' struggles. For example, Fleche wrote (p.22):

Radical German immigrants in particular looked forward to a second revolution aimed at the southern 'Slave Power.' Others, such as Ireland's John Mitchel, perpetuated a nationalist interpretation of 1848 that would inspire Confederates in 1861.

This excerpt from The Revolution of 1861 briefly explains Fleche's argument that both the North and South looked at European revolutions as support of their cause. According to the author, Confederates looked to Ireland's struggle for independence from Great Britain, Hungary's attempt to break away from Austria, and Poland's battle for self-determination. With these instances, the CSA was able to find a global objective that their attempted nation could rally behind. On the other hand, Fleche argued that the Union looked towards Italians and Germans in their struggle for a unified nation. They also found solace in France's revolution against the landed aristocracy.

Throughout his book, Andre Fleche was able to successfully portray the American Civil War in a global perspective with other revolutions of the time. The thorough use of primary sources such as newspapers, articles, pamphlets, and other publications allowed the reader to easily see the relationship Fleche attempted to present. The writing style was easy to follow and enjoyable, but at times was repetitive. Even so, I found this book extremely interesting and would definitely recommend it.

[1985Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book - I never would have thought of looking at the creation of the Confederacy as, partly, an outgrowth of the revolutions that swept Europe in the late 1840s. So much of Civil War history teaches the conflict as a rebellion (and rightfully so), but putting it into the larger, worldwide context is innovative, and quite welcome.

[Stephen Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Far too little attention has been paid to the connections of the American Civil War to the on-going revolutions in the world and it's place in the dialog on nationalism underway at the time. Fleche's book does an excellent job of discussing both topics, with a solid grounding in the material.

[Polly Callahan]

recommended on apus listserv

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent look at how Americans used the European revolutions of 1848 to articulate their own Civil War.