1. Landed Aristocracy and Social Structure 🌍👑

• Dominance of the landed aristocracy in social and political life, holding significant influence in society. 👑💼
• Common way of life: Aristocrats shared practices, values, and customs that cut across regional divisions, uniting them as an elite class. 🔗🏰
• Wealth and status: They owned large estates in the countryside 🌳🏡 and townhouses in urban areas 🏙️, representing their privileged position.
• Small numerical size: The aristocracy was a tiny minority 👥 compared to the larger peasantry 🧑‍🌾 who formed the bulk of the population.

2. Peasantry and Landholding Patterns 🌾🏡

• Majority of the population: The peasantry 🌾👩‍🌾 made up the largest segment of society and were responsible for agricultural work, typically living in poverty 💸.
• Western Europe: The land was farmed by tenants 🏡 (people renting land) and small owners 🧑‍🌾 (landowners working their own land).
• Eastern and Central Europe: Vast estates were cultivated by serfs 🧑‍🌾, who had little freedom 🛑 and were bound to the land, working under the control of the aristocracy.
• Differences in landholding patterns: In Eastern Europe 🇪🇺, the serfs worked the land under harsh conditions, while in Western Europe 🇫🇷, conditions were relatively more flexible, though still unequal.

3️⃣ Rise of Industrialisation and New Social Classes ⚙️🏭

• Industrial growth 📈: Industrial production 💼 and trade 📊 surged, leading to the growth of towns 🏙️, as factories and markets expanded.
• Emergence of commercial classes 🏢: A new class of entrepreneurs 💼, merchants 🛍️, and industrialists ⚙️ arose, centered around production for the market and expanding trade.
• Industrial revolution 🌍: England 🇬🇧 led the way in the late 18th century, with France 🇫🇷 and parts of Germany 🇩🇪 following suit in the 19th century during their industrialisation wave. ⚡🚂

4️⃣ Impact on New Social Groups 🏙️💼

• Formation of new social groups 👥: The working class 🛠️ emerged as a result of factory labor, while the middle class 🏡, composed of industrialists 🏢, businessmen 💼, and professionals 👩‍⚕️, grew in number and importance.
• Central and Eastern Europe 🇪🇺: Industrial and commercial classes were smaller in these regions, with their growth only accelerating late in the 19th century 🕰️ as industrialisation slowly spread. 🌱💹

5️⃣ Liberal Middle Class and National Unity 💡🤝

• Educated, liberal middle class 🎓: Among the middle class, ideas of national unity 🌍 grew in popularity as they sought to unify diverse peoples under common ideals.
• Support for abolition of aristocratic privileges 🛑: These groups strongly supported the abolition of aristocratic privileges 🏰, advocating for a more egalitarian society based on merit and common citizenship. ⚖️