Reactionary policy: concept and examples

Reaction is a relative concept. It applies to any action that is a response to an impact. For example, the Renaissance, with its cult of reason, is a kind of reaction to the Middle Ages, and any revolution is a consequence of dissatisfaction with the previous political regime.

The concept

The reactionary policy takes as its basis the opposition to the existing or previous social system, especially if they are more progressive. In addition, this term can be applied to directions advocating the preservation of the current social or political structure.

Political reaction is characterized by anti-opposition and anti-revolutionism. At the same time, the reactionary movement is in no way related to radical directions. Most often this concept is used in relation to monarchists, clericalists, supporters of feudalism, etc., that is, to extreme conservatives. Thus, reactionary policies may be the result of a previous conservative policy that ignores progressive trends.

Often, reactionism in government circles arises from reactionism in society. A typical example of such a phenomenon is French literature of the early 19th century represented by Francois-René de Chateaubriand ("On Bonaparte, the Bourbons and the need to join our legitimate princes for the happiness of France and Europe," "On the monarchy according to the charter").

The psychological theory of parties proceeds from the fact that reactionary politics is the result of excessive immersion of its participants in radicalism, liberalism, or other trends. Reactionism can be in any society and at any time. His supporters advocate a return to obsolete institutions and the suppression of everything progressive. An example of such a reactionary party are the monarchists in France.

Historical examples

The reactionary eras include:

1. The gloomy seven years (Nicholas I forbade the departure of subjects abroad, as well as the import of foreign books, fearing the growth of revolutionary sentiments).
2. The policy of Alexander III (limiting the autonomy of universities, changing the rules of the press).
3. The policy of Charles II after the restoration of the Stuarts (the rejection of amnesty, the restoration of the Church of England, the rejection of property rights from objectionable, etc.).
4. The first years after the revolution of 1848-1849. in Austria and Prussia (strengthening government, limiting the rights and freedoms in society by amending the constitution).
5. White terror after the restoration of the Bourbons (prosecution of the Jacobins and liberals).
6. The policy of Charles X, which led to the July Revolution of 1830
7. Vichy regime (restoration of the influence of the church in the public and political life of society, anti-democracy, political repression, course towards Nazi Germany).
8. The reign of Abdul-Hamid II (reliance on the ideas of pan-Islamism, the desire to establish sole power, the rejection of Tanzimat’s reforms).

Opinions in the literature

Some scholars consider reactionary politics a natural phenomenon after bourgeois revolutions. For example, P. Sorokin wrote the following.

The reaction is not a phenomenon that goes beyond the bounds of the revolution, but the inevitable part of the revolutionary period itself is its second half.

R. Michels divided revolutions into actually "revolutionary" and "reactionary" ones. However, such an interpretation has no adherents at the present time.