In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett analyze romantic era Europe's dueling philosophical currents—romanticism versus utilitarianism—through the Congress of Vienna, industrial capitalism, and the political tensions preceding World War I. -- SPONSOR: SHOPIFY⁠⁠⁠⁠ Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, handling 10% of U.S. e-commerce. With hundreds of templates, AI tools for product descriptions, and seamless marketing campaign creation, it's like having a design studio and marketing team in one. Start your $1/month trial today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shopify.com/cognitive⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- FOLLOW ON X: @whatifalthist (Rudyard) @LudwigNverMises (Austin) @TurpentineMedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (03:19) Romanticism vs. Utilitarianism: Europe's Two Philosophical Currents (07:00) The Congress of Vienna (1815) and Conservative Reactionary Victory (10:24) France's Post-Revolutionary Political Crises and Instability (1815-1871) (15:33) Sponsor: Metaview (17:29) Europe's Paradox: Social Degradation vs. Technological Progress (27:00) Britain's Industrial Revolution and Economic Policy Decisions (35:22) The Corn Laws: Free Trade vs. Agricultural Protectionism (40:00) Eastern Europe: Serfdom, Counter-Enlightenment, and the Holy League (43:34) Continental Philosophy: Rousseau and the Birth of Romanticism (55:00) Romantic Thinkers: Saint-Simon, Hegel, and Marx (1:20:00) The Conservative Order's Decline and European Modernization (1:37:00) The 1848 Revolutions and Population Crisis (1:48:00) Bismarck and German Unification (2:00:00) The Rise of the Managerial State and Industrial Militaries (2:07:00) The Balkans, Entangling Alliances, and the Path to World War I (2:12:14) States' Rights and Regional vs. Continental Conflict (2:14:18) Wrap Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices