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Ch 1 The Rise of Nationalism in Europe Class 10th Notes|

History
During the nineteenth century, the idea of nationalism made changes in Political and mental world of
Europe.

The French Revolution and the Idea of the Nation

French Revolution of 1789 was the first clear expression of nationalism.

• Steps taken by French Revolutionaries to create a sense of collective identity amongst the French people:

→ Ideas of La patrie and Le citoyen

→ New French Flag

→ Estates General was elected and renamed National Assembly

→ New hymns composed and oaths taken

→ Centralized administration system

→ Internal customs duties and dues were abolished

→ Uniform system of weights and measures were introduced

→ French became the common language

Napolean

• Ruled France from 1799 to 1815.

• Gained absolute powers in 1799 by becoming the First Consul.

Civil Code of 1804 / Napoleonic Code

• Equality before the law was established

• Secured the right to property

• Simplified administrative measures

• Abolished feudal system

• Freed peasants from serfdom and manorial dues

• Guild restrictions were removed

• Transport and communication systems were improved.

Napoleon took away political freedom, increased taxes, imposed censorship and forced people to join
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French army.

The Making of Nationalism in Europe

No Nation states were in Europe because of not common identity or culture.

• People residing in different areas spoke different languages.

→ Example: Hungary half of the population spoke Magyar other half spoke variety of dialects and in
Galicia people spoke Polish.

The Aristocracy and the New Middle Class

• Aristocracy

→ The land owning class.

→ Spoke French connected by ties of marriages.

→ Numerically a small group.

• Peasantry

→ Majority of population

• Middle class

→ New Social class emerged with the growth of towns and emergence of commercial classes.

→ Educated class where ideas of nationality gained popularity.

What did Liberal Nationalism Stand for?

• Liberalism stood for freedom for the individual and equality for all before the law

→ The end of autocracy and clerical privileges

→ A constitution and representative government through parliament.

• In the economic sphere liberalism stood for the freedom of markets and the abolition of state-imposed
restrictions on the movement of goods and capital.

• Zollverein abolished tariff barriers, reduced the number of currencies to two, and promoted a network of
railways to stimulate mobility.

A New Conservatism after 1815

• Believed that established institutions of state and society should be preserved, with the changes initiated by
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Napoleon.

Treaty of Vienna (1815)

• Bourbon dynasty was restored to power in France

• A series of states created on the French boundary for preventing French expansion in future.

• German confederation was left untouched.

• Main intentions was to restore the monarchies that had been overthrown by Napoleon.

The Revolutionaries
Acommitment to oppose monarchical forms that had been established after the Vienna Congress, and to
fight for liberty and freedom.

Giuseppe Mazzini

• Born in Genoa in 1807

• A member of the secret society of Carbonari

• Founded Young Italy in Marseellies, Young Europe in Berne.

• Believed in the unification of Italy into a republic.

The Age of Revolutions: 1830-1848

• In July 1830, Bourbon kings of France were overthrown and a constitutional monarchy was established.

• Belgium broke away from the United kingdoms of the Netherlands.

• Greece which had been a part of the Ottomon Empire since the fifteenth century, struggled for
independence.

→ Treaty of Constantinople of 1832 recognised Greece as an independent nation.

The Romantic Imagination and National Feeling

• A cultural movement which sought to develop a particular form of nationalist sentiment, criticized the
glorification of reason and science and focused instead on emotions, intuition and mystical feelings.

• German philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder tried to discovered culture among common people, through
folk songs, folk poetry and folk dances.

Hunger, Hardship and Popular Revolt

• In most countries there were more seekers of jobs than employment.

• Population from rural areas migrated to the cities to live in overcrowded slums.
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• The rise of food prices or a year of bad harvest led to widespread pauperism in town and country.

• In 1848, the Population of Paris came out on the roads and Louis Philippe was forced to flee and National
Assembly proclaimed a Republic.

• In 1845, weavers in Silesia led a revolt against contractors.

1848: The Revolution of the Liberals

• The revolution was led by educated middle classes who combined their demands for constitutionalism with
national unification.

Frankfurt Parliament

• On 18 May 1848, members of political association’s elected 831 representatives who took their places in
the Frankfurt Parliament convened in the Church of St. Paul and drafted a Constitution for the German
nation.

• It was opposed by King of Prussia and also lost its social basis as no rights were given to workers and
women.

• It forced the autocratic monarchs to introduce some changes – serfdom and bonded labour was abolished

• Hungarians were granted more autonomy.

The Making of Germany and Italy

Germany

• Otto Van Bismarck with the help of Prussian army and bureaucracy took on the leadership of the
movement for national unification.

• Three war over seven years ended in Prussian victory and completed the process of unification.

• Kaiser William I of Prussia headed the new German Empire.

Italy

• Italy was divided into seven states of which only Sardinia Piedmont was ruled by an Italian Princely state.

• Initially a unification programme was initiated by Giuseppe Mazzini, but it failed.

• Chief Miniser Cavour led the movement, with the help of Giuseppe Garibaldi.

• In 1861, Victor Emmanuel II was proclaimed king of united Italy.

The Strange Case of Britain

• In 1688, England established as a nation state.

• English parliament seized power from the monarchy.

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• The Act of Union 1707 resulted in the formation of the ‘United Kingdom of Great Britain’.

• In 1801, Ireland was forcibly taken by the British after the failed revolution.

• A new ‘British Nation’ was founded through the propagation of a dominant English culture.

Visualising the Nation

• Nations were portrayed as female figure (Allegory).

• The female form that was chosen to personify the nation did not stand for any particular woman in real life,
rather it sought to give the abstract idea of the nation a concrete form.

• In France the allegory was christened as Marianne, in Germany – Germania became the allegory.

Nationalism and Imperialism

• The Balkans comprised modern-day Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia-
Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro.

• Balkans was a region of geographical and ethnic variation was under the control of the Ottomon Empire.

• The idea of Romantic nationalism made this region very explosive.

• The Balkan states were fiercely jealous of each other and each hoped to gain more territory at the expense
of each other.

• European powers were also looking for the extend their control over the area.

• This led to a series of wars in the region and finally resulted in the First World War.

Ch 1 The Rise of Nationalism in Europe Extra Questions Class 10th History

Very Short Answer Questions (VSAQs):
1. Who was Frederic Sorrieu?
Answer
Frederic Sorrieu was a French artist who painted a series of four prints visualising his dream of a world
made up of democratic and social Republics.
(Para – 1, Page No. 3)

2. What was the main aim of the French revolutionaries?

Answer
The main aim of the French revolutionaries was to create a sense of collective identity among the French
people.
(Para – 2, Page No. 5)

3. What does Nation-State mean?

Answer
A nation-state was one in which the majority of its citizens, and not only its rulers, came to develop a sense
of common identity and shared history or descent.
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(Para – 2, Page No. 4)

4. What is meant by Absolutist?

Answer
Absolutist is a government or system of rule that has no restraints on the power exercised. In history, the
term refers to a form of monarchical government that was centralised, militarised and repressive.
(New Words, Page No. 3)

5. What major changes occurred in the political and constitutional scenario due to French Revolution in
Europe?
Answer
The French revolution led to the transfer of sovereignty from the monarchy to a body of French citizens.
(Para – 1, Page No. 5)

6. What is meant by Modern state?

Answer
Modern state is a state in which a centralised power exercised sovereign control over a clearly defined
territory.
(Para – 2, Page No. 4)

7. What is meant by Nationalism?

Answer
Nationalism is a sense of identity with the nation.
(Para – 2, Page No. 8)

8. What do the ideas of la Patrie and le Citoyen emphasize?

Answer
The ideas of la patrie (the fatherland) and le citoyen (the citizen) emphasised the notion of a united
community enjoying equal rights under a constitution.
(Para – 2, Page No. 5)
9. Which revolution was the first clear expression of nationalism?

Answer

French Revolution

(Para – 1, Page No. 5)

10. When did Napoleonic war begin?

Answer

The Napoleonic war began in 1797 when Napoleon invaded Italy.

(Some Important Dates, Page No. 8)

Short Answer Questions (SAQs):

1. Describe the event of French Revolution which had influenced the people belonging to other parts of
Europe.

Answer
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The events of French Revolution which had influenced the people belonging to other parts of Europe:

• Students and other members of educated middle class began to Set-up Jacobin dubs after the events in
France reached the different cities of Europe.

• Their activities and campaigns prepared the way for the French armies.

• The French armies began to carry the idea of nationalism abroad.

(Para – 4, Page No. 5)

2. What were the changes that took place after the French revolution In France?
OR
What steps did the French revolutionaries take to create a sense of collective identity among the French
people?

Answer

• The ideas of la patrie and Ie citoyen emphasised the notion of a united community enjoying equal rights
under a constitution.

• A new French flag, the tricolour, was chosen to replace the former royal standard.

• The Estates General was elected by the body of active citizens and renamed the National Assembly.

• New hymns were composed, oaths taken and martyrs commemorated, all in the name of nation. A
centralised administrative system was put in place and it formulated uniform laws for all citizens within its
territory.

• Internal customs duties and dues were abolished and a uniform system of weights and measures was
adopted.

• Regional dialects were discouraged and French, as it was spoken and written in Paris, became the common
language of the nation.

(Para – 2, Page No. 5)

3. Briefly describe the concept of liberalism which developed in the Europe in early 18th century?

Answer

The term ‘liberalism’ derives from the Latin root liber, meaning free.

• For the new middle classes liberalism stood for freedom for the individual and equality of all before the
law.

• Politically, it emphasised the concept of government by consent.

• It stood for the end of autocracy and clerical privileges, a constitution and representative government
through parliament.

• In the economic sphere, liberalism stood for the freedom of markets and the abolition of state-imposed
restrictions on the movement of goods and capital.
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(Para – 2 and 4, Page No. 9)

4. List any three features of the Civil Code of 1804 usually known as the Napoleonic Code.

Answer

• It did away with all privileges based on birth.

• It established equality before law and secured the right to property.

• It simplified administrative divisions, abolished the feudal system and freed peasants from serfdom and
manorial dues.

(Para – 1, Page No. 6)

5. “Culture played an important role in creating the idea of the nation in Europe.” Support the statement with
examples.

Answer

Culture also played an important role in the development of nationalism alongwith wars and territorial
expansion:

• Romanticism was a cultural movement which sought to develop a particular form of nationalist sentiment.

• The effort of romantic artists and poets was to create a sense of a shared collective heritage, a common
cultural past, as the basis of a nation.

• It was through folk songs, folk poetry and folk dances that the true spirit of the nation was popularised.

(Para – 4 and 5, Page No. 13| Para – 1 and 2, Page No. 14)
6. How did the local people in the areas conquered by the Napoleon react to French rule ? Explain.

Answer

In the areas conquered, the reactions of the local populations to French rule were mixed:

• Initially, in many places such as Holland and Switzerland, as well as in certain cities like Brussels, Mainz
the French armies were welcomed as harbingers of liberty.

• But soon initial enthusiasm faded as it became clear that the new administrative arrangements did not go
hand in hand with political freedom.

• Increase in taxes, censorship and forced conscription in French armies were seen as outweighing the
advantage of administrative changes which Napoleon brought.

(Para – 2, Page No. 7)

7. Why were 1830s called the years of great economic hardship in Europe ? Give any three reasons.
OR
"The decade of 1830 had brought great economic hardship in Europe". Support the statement with
arguments.
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Answer

• The first half of the nineteenth century saw an enormous increase in population all over Europe.

• In most countries, there were more seekers of jobs than employment.

• Population from rural areas migrated to the cities to live in overcrowded slums.

• The rise of food prices or a year of bad harvest led to widespread pauperism in town and country.

(Para – 3, Page No. 15)

8. How was the ideology of liberalism allied with National Unity in early 19th century in Europe? Explain in
three points.

Answer

The ideology of liberalism allied with Nationalism:

• Liberalism stood for freedom for the individual and equality of all before law.

• It emphasized on the concept of government by consent.

• It stood for the end of autocracy and clerical privileges.

• It believed in a constitution and representative government through Parliament.

• It emphasized the inviolability of private property.

(Para – 2, Page No. 9)

Long Answer Questions (LAQs):

1. Explain the conditions which were viewed as obstacles to economic exchange and growth by the new
commercial classes. How did it end in 1834?

Answer

• There was absence of freedom of markets.

• State imposed various restrictions on the movement of goods and capital.

• Presence of large numbers of states created problems as each had its own currency, and weights and
measures.

• Duties were often levied according to the weight or measurement of the goods. As each region had its own
system of weights and measures, this involved time-consuming calculation.

• In 1834, a customs union or zollverein was formed at the initiative of Prussia and joined by most of the
German states.

• The union abolished tariff barriers and reduced the number of currencies from over thirty to two.
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(Para – 4, Page No. 9| Para – 1 and 2, Page No. 10)

2. What happened during the year following 1815 when the fear of repression drove many liberal
nationalists underground? Explain.

Answer

• Secret societies sprang up in many European states to train revolutionaries and spread their ideas.

• To be revolutionary at this time meant a commitment to oppose monarchical forms that had been
established after the Vienna Congress and to fight for liberty and freedom.

• Most of these revolutionaries also saw the creation of nation-states as a necessary part of this struggle for
freedom.

• Giuseppe Mazzini, a Italian revolutionary founded two more underground societies, first, Young Italy in
Marseilles, and then, Young Europe in Berne, whose members were like-minded young men from Poland,
France, Italy and the German states.

• Following his model, secret societies were Set-up in Germany, France, Switzerland and Poland.

(Para – 1 and 2, Page No. 12)

3. Explain the events leading to the unification of Germany.

Answer

• Nationalist feelings were widespread among middle-class Germans, who in 1848 tried to unite the different
regions of the German confederation into a nation-state governed by an elected parliament.

• This liberal initiative to nation-building was, however, repressed by the combined forces of the monarchy
and the military, supported by the large landowners (called Junkers) of Prussia.

• From then on, Prussia took on the leadership of the movement for national unification.

• Its chief minister, Otto von Bismarck, was the architect of this process carried out with the help of the
Prussian army and bureaucracy.

• Three wars over seven years with Austria, Denmark and France – ended in Prussian victory and completed
the process of unification.

• In January 1871, the Prussian king, William I, was proclaimed German Emperor in a ceremony held at
Versailles.

(Para – 2 and 3, Page No. 19)

4. Describe the process of Unification of Britain.

Answer

• In Britain, the formation of the nation states was the result of long-drawn-out process.
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• Primary identities of the people were ethnic ones.

• All ethnic groups such as English, Welsh Scot or Irish had their own cultural and political traditions.

• The English nation steadily grew in wealth and power.

• It was able to extend its influence over the other nations.

• The Act of Union 1707 between England and Scotland resulted in the formation of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain.

(Para – 1, Page No. 22)

High Order Thinking Skill (HOTS):

1. Explain the significance of portraying nations as female figures by the European artists of 18th and 19th
centuries.
OR
How had the female figure become an allegory of nation during 19th century in Europe? Analyse.

Answer

• During the French Revolution artists used the female allegory to portray ideas such as Liberty, Justice and
the Republic.

• Similar female allegories were invented by artists in the nineteenth century to represent the nation.

• These female figures gave an exact idea of the nation in a concrete form and stood as symbols of heroism
and liberty respectively.

(Para – 2 and 3, Page No. 23)