Revision Notes for Class 10 History - Chapter 1 The Rise of Nationalism in Europe

Key Concepts of the Lesson:-

In 1848, Frederic Sorrieu, a French artist, prepared a series of four prints visualising his dream of a world made up of ‘democratic and social republics’. The first print of series shows the people of Europe and America- Men and women of all ages and social classes- marching in a long train, and offering homage to the state of liberty as they pass by it.

Nation-State – A group of people with the same culture, language, history etc., who have formed an independent country.

Note- During the 19^th century, nationalism emerged as a force which brought about sweeping changes in the political and mental world of Europe. The result of these changes was the emergence of the nation state in place of the multinational dynastic empires of Europe. A nation state was one in which the majority of its citizens not only its rulers. They came to develop a sense of common identity and shared history and descent. This commonness did not exit from time immemorial, it was forged through struggles, through the actions of leaders and the common people.

The French Revolution and the Idea of the Nation:-

• The first clear expression of nationalism came with the French Revolution in 1789.
• French revolution led to the transfer of sovereignty from the monarchy to s body of French citizens.
• The idea of ‘la patrie’ (the father land) and ‘le citoyen’ (the citizen) emphasized the notion of a united community, enjoying equal rights under a constitution.
• A new French flag- the tricolor, was chosen to replace the former royal standard.
• The Estates General converted into National Assembly and it was elected by the body of active citizens.
• A centralized administrative system was put in place and it formulated uniform laws for all citizens within its territory.
• Internal custom duties and dues were abolished.
• French became the common language of the nation.
• With the outbreak of the revolutionary wars, the French armies began to carry the idea of nationalism abroad.
• Napoleon set about introducing many of the reforms that he had already introduced in France.

Napoleon Code (The Civil Code of 1804):-

• Finished all the privileges based on birth.
• Established equality before the law and secured the right to property.
• In the Dutch Republic, Switzerland, Italy and Germany, Napoleon simplified administrative divisions.
• Abolished the feudal system and freed peasants from serfdom and manorial dues.
• Transport and communication system were improved.
• Peasants, artisans, workers and new businessmen enjoyed new-found freedom.

The making of Nationalism in Europe: –

• Division of Europe in small kingdoms before the middle of 18^th
• Most of these were ruled by autocratic monarchs.
• They did not see themselves as sharing a collective identity or a common culture.
• They used different languages.

The Aristocracy and the new middle class: –

• A landed aristocracy was the dominant class on the continent.
• They spoke French for purposes of diplomacy in high society.
• Peasants as a major group.
• Commercial or middle class emerges as a new group.
• Role of middle class in bringing an end to aristocratic privileged class.

What did liberal nationalism stand for: –

• Liberalism derives from the Latin root Liber, meaning free.
• It was the concept of government by consent.
• It stood for freedom of the individual and equality of all before the law.
• Universal Suffrage.
• Freedom of market.

A new conservation after 1815: –

• Defeated of Napoleon in 1815, European governments were driven by a spirit of conservatism.
• Conservatives believed in monarchy, Church, Social hierarchies, property etc.
• Conservative regimes based on autocracy.
• They did not tolerate criticism and dissent and sought to curb activities that questioned the legitimacy of autocratic governments.

Vienna Congress of 1815: –

• In 1815 Britain, Russia, Prussia and Austria collectively defeated Napoleon, met at Vienna to draw up a settlement for Europe.
• The Congress was hosted by the Austrian Chancellor Duke Metternich.
• Through this treaty of Vienna they want undoing most of the changes that had come about in Europe during the Napoleonic wars.
• The Bourbon dynasty, which had been deposed during the French revolution, was restored to power.
• A series of states were set up on the boundaries of France to prevent French expansion in future.

The Revolutionaries:-

• 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.
• Giuseppe Mazzini:-
• Italian revolutionary, born in Genoa in 1807.
• He became a member of the secret society of the Carbonari.
• He founded two underground societies-
  • Young Italy in Marseilles.
  • Young Europe in Berne.

• Members of these societies were young men from Poland, France, Italy and the German states.
• According to Mazzini, God had intended nations to be the natural units of mankind. So Italy could not continue to be a patchwork of small states and kingdoms.
• It had to be forged into a single unified republic within a wider alliance of nations. This unification alone could be the basis of Italian liberty.
• Metternich described him as “the most dangerous enemy of our social order”.

The age of revolution 1830-1848: –

• The first upheaval took place in France in July 1830.
• The Bourbon kings were now overthrown by liberal revolutionaries.
• Installed a constitutional monarchy under the leadership of Louis Philippe.
• Metternich remarked “When France sneezes, the rest of Europe catches cold”.
• Greek war of independence against the Ottoman Empire was the main event, which developed nationalist feelings among the educated elite across Europe.
• Poets and artists lauded Greece as the Cradle of European civilization and support its struggle against a Muslim empire.
• Finally in 1832 Greece recognized as an independent nation through the Treaty of Constantinople.

The Romantic imagination and national feeling: –

• Culture, art, poetry, stories and music helped to express and shape nationalist feelings.
• German Philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder claimed that true German culture was to be discovered among the common people. The true spirit of the nation was popularized through folk songs, folk poetry and folk dances.
• Language too play an important role in developing nationalist sentiments.
• After Russian occupation, the Polish language was forced out of schools in Poland and the Russian language was imposed everywhere.
• The use of Polish came to be seen as a symbol of the struggle against Russian dominance.

Hunger, Hardship and popular revolt: –

• The years of 1830s were great economic hardship in Europe.
• Enormous increase in population all over Europe.
• Food shortage and widespread unemployment was common in Paris in 1848.
• Barricades were erected and Louis Philippe was forced to flee.
• National Assembly proclaimed a Republic, granted suffrage to all adult males above 21 and guaranteed the right to work.
• National workshops started to provide employment.

1848: The Revolution of the Liberals:-

• After the events 1848 in France had brought about the abdication of the monarch and a republic based on universal male Suffrage had been proclaimed.
• Demands for the creation of a nation state on parliamentary principles- a Constitution, freedom of the press and freedom of association.
• The issue of political rights of women raised by liberal through Frankfurt Assembly in Germany.
• Though Conservatives forces were able to suppress liberal movements in 1848, they could not restore the old order.
• Monarchs were beginning to realize the power of liberal nationalist revolutionaries.
• The serfdom and bonded labour were abolished in Hungry and Russia.

The making of Germany and Italy:-

Unification of Germany:-

• Prussia took on the leadership of the movement for national unification of Germany.
• The Chief Minister of Prussia, Ottovan Bismark was the architect of this process carried out with the help of the Prussian army and bureaucracy.
• Prussia defeat Austria, Denmark and France in three wars over seven years and completed the process of unification.
• In January 1871, the Prussian king, William I was proclaimed German emperor in a ceremony held at Versailles.

Unification of Italy:-

• During the middle 19^th century, Italy was divided into seven states. Only one Sardinia-Piedmont, was ruled by an Italian princely house.
• During the 1830s, Giuseppe Mazzini put a programme for unitary Italian Republic.
• He formed a secret society Young Italy for his goals.
• After the Failure of revolutionary uprising the mantle now fell on Sardinia-Piedmont under its ruler king Victor Emmanuel II to unify the Italian states through war.
• Chief Minister Cavour led the movement to unify the regions of Italy. He spoke French much better than Italian.
• Through a tactful diplomatic alliance with France engineered by Cavour, Sardinia-Piedmont succeeded in defeating the Austrian forces in 1859.
• Giuseppe Garibaldi joined the war with a large number of armed volunteers.
• In 1861 Victor Emmanuel II was proclaimed king of united Italy.

The strange case of Britain: –

• There was no British nation prior to the 18^th
• English, Welsh, Scot and Irish were the ethnic groups had their own cultural and political traditions.
• English nation grew in wealth, importance and power. It was able to extend its influence over the other nations of the islands.
• England became a nation state through English parliament which had seized power from the monarchy in 1688.
• The formation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain through the Act of Union (1707) between England and Scotland.
• By this Act England was able to impose its influence on Scotland.
• Ireland was a country deeply divided between Catholics and Protestants.
• The English helped the Protestants of Ireland to establish their dominance over a largely Catholic country.
• Ireland was forcibly incorporated into the United Kingdom in 1801.
• The symbols of the new Britain- The British Flag (Union Jack), the national anthem (God save our noble king), the English language.

Visualizing the Nation: –

• Artists in 18^th and 19^th centuries found a way out by personifying a nation.
• They represented a country as a poem.
• That is the female figure became an allegory of the nation. In France she was Christened Marianne.
• Her characteristics were drawn from those of liberty and republic- the red cap, the tricolour, the cockade.
• Marianne images were marked on coins and stamps.
• Germania became the allegory of the German nation.
• Germania wears a crown of oak leaves, as the German oak stands for heroism.

Nationalism and Imperialism: –

Balkan Issue:-

• Balkan was region of geographical and ethnic variation comprising of Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro.
• Till the last part of 19^th century, this was under Ottoman Empire.
• The disintegration of the Ottoman Empire and emergence of romantic nationalism made this region a land of conflict.
• Balkan nations tried to capture more territories from neighbouring places.
• It also became a scene of big power rivalry like Russia, Germany, England, Austria and Hungry.
• It led to open wars and finally led it to the First World War.