CHAPTER 1 – THE RISE OF NATIONALISM IN EUROPE

COMMON NOTES

1. When did the French Revolution take place? Explain its impact on
Europe. Or Describe the events of French Revolution which had
influenced the people belonging to other parts of Europe.
A. The French Revolution took place in 1789.

IMPACT ON EUROPE:

(1) Formation of Jacobin Clubs:

 When the news of the revolution reached the different cities of
Europe, students and other members of educated middle classes began
setting up Jacobin Clubs.
 There activities and campaigns prepared the way for the French
armies which moved into Holland, Belgium, Switzerland and much of
Italy in the 1790s.
(2) Liberalisation of people:
 The revolutionaries further declared that it was the mission and the
destiny of the French nation to liberate the peoples of Europe from
despotism, in other words to help other peoples of Europe to become
nations.
(3) Rise of Napoleon and its impact:
 The conditions created by the revolution paved way for Napoleon who
took several steps to reform the economy of Europe.
 He introduced uniform laws, standardised weights and measures, and
a common national currency. These steps had a far reaching impacts.
2. Analyse the measures and practices introduced by the French
revolutionaries to create a sense of collective identity amongst the
French people.
OR

What was the major change that occurred in the political and constitutional
scenario due to the French Revolution in Europe?

OR

Describe any five measures introduced by the French Revolutionaries to

create a sense of collective identity amongst the French people.
 A. The measures and practices introduced by the French revolutionaries to
create a sense of collective identity among the French people were as follows.

 The idea of la patrie (the fatherland) and le citoyen (the citizen) emphasised
the idea of united people 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 active citizens and renamed the
National Assembly.
 New hymns were composed, oaths taken and martyrs commemorated in the
name of nation.
 Regional dialects were discouraged and French, as it was spoken and written
in Paris, became the common language of the nation.
 A centralised administrative system was put in practice 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.

3. Napoleon had destroyed democracy in France, but in the administrative

field he had incorporated revolutionary principles in order to make the
whole system more rational and efficient. Analyse the statement with
arguments.

OR

Explain the revolutionary principles incorporated by Napoleon in the

administration of France during his reign.

OR

Explain the provision of the Napoleon Civil Code , 1804.

A. Napoleon declared himself the emperor of France and destroyed democracy.

In the administrative field, he incorporated revolutionary principles, which were as
follows.

 The Civil Code of 1804, also known as Napoleonic Code, abolished all the
privileges based on birth, established equality before the law and gave the right
to property.
 The code which was introduced in the regions under French control, like Italy,
Germany, Switzerland, simplified administrative divisions, abolished the feudal
system and freed peasants from serfdom and manorial dues,
 In towns guild restrictions came to an end.
 Uniform weights and measures were adopted.
 A common national currency helped in the movement of goods and capital
from one region to another.
 Transport and communication systems were improved.
 4.How did a wave of economic nationalism strengthen the wider
nationalist sentiments growing in Europe? Explain.

A. A wave of economic nationalism strengthened wider nationalist

sentiments growing in Europe with:

(a) the demands of new commercial classes for a unified economic province
for unconstrained transfer of commodities, people and funds.
(b) the formation of the zollverein in 1834.
(c) the elimination of tariff barriers by the union.
(d) the reduction in the number of currencies from over thirty to two.
(e) the formation of a network of railways that further helped mobility and
connected economic interests to national unification.

5. Explain the conditions that were viewed as obstacles to the economic

exchange and growth by the new commercial classes during the 19th
century in Europe.

The conditions that were viewed as obstacles to the economic exchange and
growth by the new commercial classes during the 19th century in Europe were:

 There were many states imposed restrictions on the movement of goods,

capital and people.
 Each confideration had its own system of weights and measures that
involved time-consuming calculations.
 Because of countless principalities, there were many check posts where
custom duties were paid by the merchants. It resulted in price rise and
delay in supply.

6.Explain any four changes brought about in Europe by the Treaty of

Vienna(1815)

A. Napoleon was defeated in 1815 by collective European powers i.e. Britain,

Russia, Prussia, and Austria. The representatives of European powers drew up
the Treaty of Vienna at a congress hosted by Austrian Chancellor Duke
Metternich with the objective of undoing the changes that had come about the
Europe during the Napoleonic wars. Following changes were brought about in
Europe by this treaty:

 The Bourbon dynasty that was destroyed during the French Revolution
was restored. French lost the territories it has annexed under Napoleon.
  A series of states were set up on the boundaries of France to prevent
French expansion in future.
 The Netherlands which included Belgium was set up in the north. Genoa
was added to Piedmont in the south.
 Prussia was given important new territories on its western frontiers.
Austria was given control of northern Italy.
 The German confederation of 39 states set up by Napoleon was left
untouched. Russia was given part of Poland and Prussia was given part of
Saxony.
 Monarchy was restored and a new conservative order was created in
Europe.

7.Explain the features of the ‘Nation State’ that emerged in Europe in the
20th century.

A. The Nation States of the 20th century wanted to give their nations an
identity. They did this in the following manner.

(1)Nations were personified, i.e they represented their country as a person with
certain characteristics that identified their nations.

(2)Nations were portrayed as a female figure with certain qualities but it did not
represent any real or particular woman.

(3)Artists personified France as ‘Marianne’ and Germans personified their

country as ‘Germania”.

8. Explain the concept of liberal nationalism which developed in Europe in

the early 19th century.

OR

What did the concept of liberal nationalism politically emphasise during

the 19th century Europe?

OR

Explain what is meant by the 1848 revolution of the liberals. What were the
political, social and economic ideas supported by the liberals.

Ans.By the 1848 Revolution of the Liberals, we mean the revolution led by the
educated middle-class of Europe. Events of February 1848, in France brought
about the abdication of the monarchy and a republic based on universal male
franchise was formed. The social-liberal and economic ideas supported by the
liberals are:

(i)For the new middle-classes, liberalism stood for the freedom of individual
and equality of all before law.

(ii) Politically, it emphasised the concept of government by consent, abolition

of aristocracy and clerical privileges.

(iii) They demanded a constitution and a representative government through

parliament.

(iv) Socially, the liberals supported the abolition of discrimination based on

birth.

(v) Economically, it stood for the freedom of markets and the abolition of state
imposed restrictions on the movement of goods and capital.

9. Describe Greek War of Independence

OR
How did nationalist feelings among the educated elite across the Europe
develop
Greece had been part of the Ottoman Empire since the fifteenth century.

• The growth of revolutionary nationalism in Europe sparked off a struggle for

independence amongst the Greeks which began in 1821.

• Nationalists in Greece got support from other Greeks living in exile and also
from many West Europeans who had sympathies for ancient Greek culture.

• Poets and artists lauded Greece as the cradle of European civilisation and
mobilised public opinion to support its struggle against a Muslim empire.

• The English poet Lord Byron organised funds and later went to fight in the
war, where he died of fever in 1824.

• Finally, the Treaty of Constantinople of 1832 recognised Greece as an

independent nation.
Q10. .”Culture played an important role in creating the idea of the nation
Support the statement with suitable examples.
Or
“The development of nationalism did not come only through wars. Culture
also played an important role in creating the idea of the nation.” Explain
with suitable examples.
Or
How did nationalism develop through culture in Europe?
Explain.
Ans. Culture played an important role in creating the idea of nation in Europe in
the following ways:
(1) Art and poetry, stories and music helped in shaping nationalist feeling in
Europe.
(2) Romanticism, a cultural movement, sought to develop a particular form of
nationalist sentiments. For example, the massacre at Chios’ by Eugene
Delacroix, appealed to the emotions of Greek.
(3) German philosopher, J.G. Herder said that true German culture could be
discovered among the common people through folk songs, folk poetry and folk
dances that express the true spirit of the nation.
(4) ‘Das Volk’ portrayed German culture.
(5) `Karol Kurpinski’ celebrated nationalist movement through folk dances and
operas.
(6) Allegory was developed such as Marianne and Germania.
(7) Vernacular languages strengthened nationalist feelings.

Q11. The development of nationalism did not come about only through
wars and territorial expansion. Explain the role of Romantic imagination
in a national feeling.
Or
Mention any three important contributions by Romanticists to national
movements.
Ans. Role of Romantic imagination in a national feeling:
(1) Culture played an important role in creating the idea of the nation.
(2) Art and poetry, stories and music helped to express and shape nationalist
feelings.
(3) Romantic artists and poets generally criticized the glorification of reason
and science and focused instead on emotions, intuition and mystical feelings.
Their effort was to create a sense of shared collective heritage, a common
cultural past, as the basis of the nation.
(4) Romanticists believed that it was through folk songs, folk poetry and folk
dances that the true spirit of the nation was popularized.
(5) They emphasized on vernacular languages and the collection of local
folklore not just to recover an ancient national spirit, but also to carry the
modern nationalist message to large audiences who were mostly illiterate.
(6) They tried to change the cultural element into nationalist symbols.

Q12. Describe the effects of the French Revolution.

Ans. Following were the effects of the French Revolution:
(1) The sovereignty was transferred from monarchy to a body of French
citizens.
(2) Now, the people had the right and power to constitute the nation and shape
its destiny.
(3) There developed a notion of a united community enjoying equal rights under
a Constitution.
(4)A centralized administrative system was established.
(5) Uniform laws were formulated for all citizens within the French territory
(6) Internal custom duties and dues that hampered the flow of business were
abolished and a uniform system of weights and measures was constituted.
(7) French became the common language of the nation. Local dialects were
discouraged.
(8) The French nation declared its mission to liberate the people of Europe
from despotism i.e., help other people of Europe to become nations.

Q.13. “The 1830s were the years of great economic hardship in Europe.”
Give reasons.

Ans. Reasons of economic hardships in 1830s are as follows:

(i)Population Explosion: The first half of the 19th century saw an enormous
increase in population all over Europe.

(ii)Mass Migration – In most of the European countries the supply of workers

exceeded the demand leading to unemployment . Population from rural areas
migrated to the cities to live in overcrowded slums.

(iii) Industrialisation and its Impact on Local Producers:- Small producers in

towns were often faced with stiff competition from import of cheap machine-
made goods from England.

(iv) High food price: In those regions of Europe where the aristocracy still
enjoyed power, peasants struggled under the burden of feudal dues and
obligations. The rise of food prices or a year of bad harvest led to widespread
poverty.
14. Briefly trace the process of German unification.

 Middle class tried to unite Germany but was repressed by the monarchy
and the military with the support of the land owning class called Junkers.
 Prussia started the movement for national unification under the leadership
of Otto Von Bismarck and he became the architect of this process.
 Prussia fought three wars for over seven years with Austria, Denmark and
France remained victorious and completed German unification.
 Prussian King, William I became the Emperor of United Germany in
January 1871.
 New state emphasised on modernising the currency, banking, legal and
judicial systems of Germany.

15.Briefly trace the process of Italy unification.

 Italy was politically fragmented into several dynastic states. Out of the
seven states, Sardinia – Piedmont was ruled by an Italian princely house.
 North Italy was under Austrian Habsburgs, the centre was ruled by the
Pope and South Italy was under the Bourbon Kings of Spain.
 Mazzini put together a programme for a unitary Italian Republic and also
formed a secret society called Young Italy, but the efforts of Mazzini in
1848 failed.
 Chief Minister Cavour, through a diplomatic alliance with France,
defeated Austria in 1859.
 The responsibility of United Italy was given to King Victor Emmanuel II,
in 1861, who was proclaimed king of United Italy.
 Giuseppe Garibaldi, a revolutionary too, joined the alliance and drove
away the Spanish ruler. Thus Italy was unified.

16. Briefly trace the process of the unification of Britain.

(i) Economic Prosperity: - The industrial revolution helped in the economic

prosperity of the English nation. With the help of trade and wealth, it succeeded
in extending its influence over other nations of the Island.

(ii) Role of Parliament: The English Parliament which had seized power from
the monarchy in 1688 at the end of a protracted conflict, was the instrument
through which a nation-state, with the England as its centre, came to be forged.

(iii) The Act of Union : The Act of Union (1707) between England and
Scotland resulted in the formation of the United Kingdom.
(iv) Incorporation of Ireland into the United Kingdom: Ireland was forcibly
incorporated into the United Kingdom in 1801 under the Act of Union, 1801.

(v) National Symbols: A new “ British nation” was forged through the
propagation of a dominant English culture. The symbols of the new Britian-the
British flag, the national anthem, the English language – were actively
promoted and the older nations survived only as subordinate partners in this
union.

17.Why did nationalist tension emerge in the Balkans?

OR

Why was the Balkan after 1871, the most serious source of nationalist
tensions in Europe?

OR

“The Balkan issue was one of the major factors responsible for the First
World War . Explain by giving examples.

Ans. The Balkan was a region of geographical and ethnic variation comprising
modern-day Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, Macedonia, Slovenia, Serbia
and Montenegro whose inhabitants were broadly known as the Slavs. A large
part of Balkan was under the control of the Ottoman Empire. Nationalist tension
that ultimately led to the First World War emerged in this region due to the
following factors:

(i)Explosive Region: The spread of the ideas of romantic nationalism in the

Balkans, together with the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire made this
region very explosive.

(ii)Internal Conflicts: As the different Slavic nationalities struggled to define

their identity and independence, the Balkan area became an area of intense
conflict. The Balkan states were fiercely jealous of each other and each hoped to
gain more territory at the expense of the other.

(iii)Source of Rivalry between Big Powers: Matters were further complicated

because the Balkan also became the scene of big power rivalry. During this
period, there was an intense rivalry among European powers over trade and
colonies as well as the naval and military power.
(iv)Series of Wars: Each powers- Russia, Germany, England, Austria and
Hungary were keen on countering the hold of others powers over the Balkans ,
and extending their own control over the area. This led to a series of wars in the
region and finally, the First World War.

18. By the last quarter of the 19th century nationalism no longer retained its
idealistic liberal democratic sentiment of the first half of the 19th century,
but became a narrow creed with limited end’. Explains

OR

Justify the statement with suitable examples that “Nationalism, aligned

with imperialism, led Europe to disaster in 1914.”

OR

‘Nationalism, aligned with imperialism, led Europe to disaster

in1914.’Explain this statement with suitable arguments.

 By the last quarter of the 19th century nationalism no longer retained its
idealistic liberal-democratic sentiment of the first half.
 Nationalist groups became increasingly intolerant of each other and ever
ready to go to war.
 The major Europeans powers, in turn, manipulated the nationalist
aspirations of the subjects peoples in Europe to further their own
imperialist aims.
 Many great powers were involved into Balkan. The region became an
area of intense conflict.
 The rivalry among the Europeans powers over trade and colonies was
increasing day by day.
 There were series of wars among big powers like Russia, Germany,
England etc. Which finally led to the First World War.

.19. What is an allegory? How did a female figure become an allegory of

nation?
 When an abstract idea is expressed through a person or a thing. It is
called an allegory.
 While it was easy enough to represent a ruler through a portrait or a
statue.
 In other words they represented a country as if it were a person.
 Nations were then portrayed as a female figure.
 The female figures became an allegory of the nation.
  Christened Marianne, a popular Christian name, which underlined the
idea of people’s nation.
20. Describe the revolt led by the Silesian weavers against contractors in
1845.
 In 1845, weavers of Silesia had led a revolt of against contractors who
supplied the raw materials. They gave them to order for finished textiles
but reduced their payments.
 The workers were living in absolute poverty and misery.
 On 4 June at 2 P.M., a large crowd of weavers emerged from their
homes and marched in pairs up to the mansion of the contractor.
 They were demanding higher wages. But, they were treated with scorn
and threats.
 Then, some of the weavers entered forcefully into the house. They
smashed the window Panes, furniture and porcelain. They entered the
storehouse and tore to shreds the supplies of cloth.
 The contractor fled with his family but came back after 24 hours with the
army. In the exchange that followed eleven weavers were shot

Q.21. Write a note on:

(a) Guiseppe Mazzini
(b) Count Camillo de Cavour
(c) The Greek war of independence
(D)Frankfurt Parliament
(e) The role of women in nationalist struggles

(a) Guiseppe Mazzini

 Giuseppe Mazzini was an Italian. He was born in Genoa in 1807. He became a
member of the secret society of the Carbonari.
 As a young man of 24, he was sent into exile in 1831 for attempting a
revolution in Liguria. He subsequently founded two more underground societies
- Young Italy in Marseilles and Young Europe in Berne.
 Mazzini believed that God had intended nations to be the natural units of
mankind.
(b) Count Camillo de Cavour
 He was the chief minister of Sardinia-Piedmont state. He led the movement to
unify the regions of Italy. He was neither a revolutionary nor a democrat.
 Like many other wealthy and educated members of the Italian elite, he spoke
French much better than he did Italian.
 He engineered a careful diplomatic alliance with France with the help of which
Sardinia-Piedmont succeeded in defeating the Austrian forces in 1859. This,
consequently helped to free the northern part of Italy from the Austrian
Habsburgs.
 (c) The Greek war of independence
 It was an event that mobilised nationalist feelings among the educated elite
across Europe. Greece had been a part of the Ottoman Empire since the 15th
century.
 The growth of revolutionary nationalism in Europe sparked off a struggle for
independence amongst the Greeks which began in 1821.
 Nationalists in Greece got support from other Greeks living in exile and also
from many Western Europeans who had sympathies for the ancient Greek
culture.
(d) Frankfurt parliament
 All those political associations existing in the German region whose members
were middle-class professionals, businessmen and prosperous artisans, formed
an all-German National Assembly.
 On Its first meeting was held on 18 May 1848 in the Church of St. Paul at
Frankfurt where 831 elected representatives marched in a festive procession to
take their places. They drafted a constitution for a German nation to be headed
by a monarchy subject to a parliament.
 When the deputies offered the crown on these terms to Friedrich Wilhelm IV,
King of Prussia, he rejected it and joined other monarchs to oppose the elected
assembly