NCERT Class 10 The rise of nationalism in Europe

NCERT Class 10 The rise of nationalism in Europe

NCERT Class 10 The rise of nationalism in Europe

Chapter 1: Extra Questions-answers

 Short Answer Type Questions. [3 Marks]

1. Explain the view of Ernst Renan, regarding a nation.

Ans. Renan criticised the notion that a nation is formed by a common language, race, religion, or territory. According to him, a nation is the culmination of a long past of endeavours, sacrifice and devotion. To have common glories in the past, to have a common will in the present, to have performed great deeds together, to wish to perform still more these are the essential conditions.

 2. What was the nature of conservative regimes set up in 1815?

OR

Enumerate any three features of conservative regimes set up in Europe following the defeat of Napoleon in 1815.

OR

Describe any three features of the conservative regimes which were set up in 1815 and were called autocratic in nature.

Ans. The conservative regimes set up in 1815 were autocratic. They did not tolerate criticism and dissent and sought to curb activities that questioned the legitimacy of autocratic governments. Most of them imposed censorship laws to control what was said in newspapers, books, plays and songs and reflected ideas of liberty and freedom associated with the French Revolution.

3. How did Romanticism seek to develop a particular form of nationalist sentiment during the 18th century? Explain.

OR

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

OR

Give three examples to show the influence of culture on the growth of nationalism in Europe.

OR

How did nationalism develop through culture in Europe? Explain.

OR

“Culture has played an important role in the development of nationalism in Europe during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.” Support the statement with examples.

Ans. Romanticism criticised glorification of reason and science and focussed instead on emotions, intuitions and mystical feelings. The poets and romantic artists tried to create a sense of shared collective heritage, a common cultural past, as the basis of nationalism.

Some Romantics, like the German philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder, tried through folk songs, folk poetry and folk dances to popularise the true spirit of the nation. The Polish artist, Karol Kurpinski encouraged national struggle through his operas and music, turning folk dances like the ‘polonaise’ and ‘mazurka’ into national symbols. The language also played an important role in developing nationalist feelings. The Grimm Brothers promoted the German language to oppose French domination through their collection of folk tales. The Polish used language as a weapon against Russian domination.

4. What did liberal nationalism stand for?

Ans. For the new middle classes, liberalism stood for freedom for the individual and equality of all before the law. Politically it meant the concept of government by consent. Since the French Revolution, liberalism had stood for the end of autocracy and clerical privileges, a constitution and a representative government through parliament. It also stressed the inviolability of private property.

5. Why were the 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.

OR

Describe any three economic hardships faced by Europe in the 1830s.

Ans. The 1830s were called the year of great economic hardship in Europe. During the first half of the nineteenth century, there was an enormous growth of population requiring lakhs of jobs. Due to the rise in population, unemployment also increased. The job seekers or unemployed people migrated from villages to cities for earning bread. The conditions of the towns were also worse because of heavy production and cheap products from England.

In agriculture, the peasants suffered because of less agrarian facilities and high inflation. The rise in food prices or a year of bad harvest led to widespread poverty.

6. Describe any three steps taken by French Revolutionaries to create a sense of collective identity among the French people.

Ans. (i) 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.

(ii) A new French flag, the tricolour, was chosen to replace the formal royal standard.

(iii) The Estates-General was elected by the body of active citizens and renamed the National Assembly.

(iv) New hymns were composed, oaths taken and martyrs commemorated, all in the name of the nation.

(v) A centralised administrative system was put in place and it formulated uniform laws for all citizens within its territory.

(vi) Internal customs duties and dues were abolished and a uniform system of weights and measures was adopted. (any three).

7. In which year was the unification of Italy completed? Mention two features of the unification movement.

Ans. Unification of Italy was completed in 1870. Despite formidable hurdles which beset the path of unification of Italy, the feeling of liberty, equality and patriotism could not remain suppressed among Italians for a long time. Some patriots, supporters of democracy, writers, philosophers and many secret institutions resolved to launch a combined struggle to achieve liberty and liberalism for Italy.

8. “Italy had a long history of political fragmentation”. Support the statement by giving any three points.

OR

Examine the conditions of Italy before unification.

Ans. Italians were scattered over several dynastic states as well as the multinational Habsburg Empire. During the middle of the 19th century, Italy was divided into seven states, of which only one state – Sardinia-Piedmont – was ruled by an Italian princely house. The north was under Austrian Habsburgs, the centre was ruled by the Pope and the southern regions were under the domination of the Bourbon kings of Spain. Even the Italian language had many regional and local variations.

 9. What were the reasons for the explosive situation in the Balkans?

Ans. (a) spread of the ideas of romantic nationalism

(b) Disintegration of Ottoman empire

(c) Rivalries among big powers to control the Balkans

10. The Balkan crisis finally led to which war? How?

Ans. First World War (1914-18).

Each big power wanted to control the Balkans. Nationalism aligned with imperialism led Europe to the disastrous war in 1914 which killed millions of people.

 11. How did the female figure become an allegory of the nation?

Ans. Artists in the 18th and 19th centuries found a way out to personify the nation. They came to represent a country through female figures. The female figure chosen to personify a nation did not stand for any particular woman in real life; it sought to give an abstract idea of the nation a concrete form.

12. How did the artists use female allegory during the French Revolution?

Ans. Artists used the female allegory to portray ideas such as liberty, justice and the republic. These ideals were represented through specific objects or symbols. The attributes of liberty are the red cap, broken chains, while justice is generally represented through a blindfolded woman carrying a pair of weighing scales.

13. Describe ‘Germania’.

Ans. Germania became the allegory of the German nation. In visual representation, Germania wears a crown of oak leaves, as the German oak stands for heroism. The sword in her hand symbolises the readiness to fight. Her broken chains inspire freedom. The crown of oak leaves depicts heroism. The olive branch around the sword signifies a willingness to make peace.

14. Explain how Ireland got incorporated into the United Kingdom in 1801? What were the symbols of this new British nation?

Ans. The population of Ireland was divided into two categories – Catholics and Protestants. The British helped the Protestants to dominate the large Catholic population. Catholics opposed that suppression under the leadership of Wolfe Tone and his United Irishmen but they failed. At last, Ireland was forcibly incorporated into the United Kingdom in 1801. The symbols of Britain – the British flag, i.e., Union Jack, the national anthem, i.e., God Save the King, and the English language was actively promoted. Finally, the Irish people were forced to live as subordinate in their own country.

15. Who was Cavour? Explain his contributions to the unification of Italy.

Ans. Chief Minister Cavour who led the movement to unify the regions of Italy was neither a revolutionary nor a democrat. Through a tactful diplomatic alliance with France engineered by Cavour, Sardinia-Piedmont succeeded in defeating the Austrian forces in 1859. Apart from regular troops, a large number of armed volunteers under the leadership of Giuseppe Garibaldi joined the fray. In 1860, they marched into South Italy and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and succeeded in winning the support of the local peasants in order to drive out the Spanish rulers. In 1861, Victor Emmanuel was proclaimed king of United Italy.

16. Why was the Napoleonic rule over other regions unpopular with some sections of Europe?

Ans. The initial enthusiasm of the people of conquered territories soon turned to hostility as it became clear that the new administrative arrangements did not go hand in hand with political freedom. Increased taxation, censorship, forced conscription into the French armies required to conquer the rest of Europe, all seemed to outweigh the advantages of the administrative changes.

17. What did liberalism stand for in the economic sphere?

Ans. In the economic sphere, liberalism stood for the freedom of markets and abolition of state-imposed restrictions on the movement of goods and capital. Such conditions were viewed as obstacles to economic exchange and growth by the new commercial classes.

18. What were the effects of Zollverein?

Ans. In 1834, a customs union or Zollverein was formed at the initiative of Prussia and was joined by most of the German states. The union abolished tariff barriers and reduced the number of currencies from over thirty to two. The creation of a network of railways increased mobility, harnessing economic interests to national unification.

19. Who was Guiseppe Mazzini?

Ans. Mazzini was an Italian revolutionary. He became a member of the Secret Society of the Carbonari. He was exiled in 1831 for attempting a revolution. He founded two secret societies called Young Italy and Young Europe. Mazzini believed that God had intended nations to be the natural units of mankind. He played a prominent role in Italian unification.

20. What were the consequences of the 1848 revolution in France?

Ans. (i) King Louis Philippe was forced to flee.

(ii) France was proclaimed a republic by the National Assembly.

(iii) All males above 21 were granted the right to vote.

(iv) Right to work was guaranteed to all adults.

(v) National workshops to provide employment were set up.

21. What do you know about the Frankfurt Assembly held in 1848?

Ans. A large number of political associations came together in Frankfurt and decided to vote for an all-German National Assembly. On 18 May 1848, 831 elected representatives took part in Frankfurt parliament. They drafted a constitution for the German nation to be headed by a monarchy subject to 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. It was eventually disbanded.

22. How was the Habsburg Empire a patchwork of many different regions and peoples in Europe? Explain.

Ans. In the mid-eighteenth century Europe, there were no ‘nation-states’ as we know them today. Eastern and Central Europe were under autocratic monarchies, having people of diverse ethnic groups. The Habsburg Empire was one such example. It ruled over Austria-Hungary, a patchwork of many different regions and peoples. It included the Alpine regions — the Tyrol, Austria and Sudetenland — as well as Bohemia, where the aristocracy was predominantly German-speaking. It also included Italian-speaking provinces of Lombardy and Venetia. In Hungary, half the population spoke Magyar, while the other half spoke a variety of dialects. In Galicia, the aristocracy spoke Polish. Besides these three dominant groups, there also lived within the territories a mass of subject peasant peoples — Bohemians and Slovaks to the north, Slovenes in Carniola, Croats to the south, the Romans to the east in Transylvania. The only tie binding these diverse groups together was a common allegiance to the emperor.

23. What is the significance of 1848 for France and the rest of Europe? What did the liberals demand?

Ans. With many revolts like revolts of the poor, unemployed workers and starving peasants during 1848 in Europe, educated middle class of France also started a revolution. As a result, the abdication of the monarch and a republic based on universal male suffrage had been proclaimed. In other parts of Europe, men and women of the liberal middle classes combined their demands for constitutionalism with national unification. They took advantage of the growing popular unrest to push their demands for the creation of a nation-state on parliamentary principles — a constitution, freedom of press and freedom of association.

The issue of extending political rights to women was the most controversial subject matter within the liberal movement in which a large number of women had participated actively.

24. How did culture play an important role in creating the idea of a nation in Europe? Explain with four examples.

OR

“Culture played an important role in creating the idea of the nation in Europe.” Sub­stantiate.

Ans. The feeling of nationalism was strengthened, developed and given encouragement by art, music, literature, drama, etc. These played a big role in it. Their contribution was equal to the heroic battles fought by heroes.

(i) The Romantics like the German philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder believed that true German culture could be discovered only among the common people — das volk.

(ii) Language played a very important role in boosting nationalism. The Polish people opposed the Russian occupation and the ban on Polish language, by using it in the Churches for all religious ceremonies and for religious instruction. The Polish language became a weapon in the hands of the nationalists and no amount of Russian atrocities could stop them. Two Germans, Grimm Brothers, used stories and folktales written in German to promote the German spirit against the domination of the French. Grimm’s fairytales became instant classics.

(iii) Operas and music, like that of the Polish Karol Kurpinski, kept the national spirit alive.

(iv) Folk dances like the polonaise and mazurka became national symbols.

25. Describe the events of the French Revolution which had influenced the people belonging to other parts of Europe.

Ans. (i) When the news of the events in France reached the different cities of Europe, students and other members of educated middle classes began setting up Jacobin clubs.

(ii) Their activities and campaign prepared the way for the French armies which moved into Holland, Belgium, Switzerland and much of Italy in the 1790s.

(iii) With the outbreak of the revolutionary wars, the French armies began to carry the idea of nationalism abroad.

26. Mention the chief features of the Civil Code of 1804.

Ans. (i) Napoleon did away with all privileges based on birth

(ii) Established equality before the law

(iii) Secured the right to property.

27. How was the Napoleonic code implemented in foreign lands?

Ans. (i) Napoleon simplified administrative divisions, abolished the feudal system and freed peasants from serfdom and manorial dues.

(ii) Guild restrictions were removed in towns.

(iii) Transport and communication systems were improved.

(iv) Uniform laws, standardised weights and measures and a common national currency were introduced.

28. How did the Greek War of Independence mobilise nationalist feeling among the educated elite across Europe?

Ans. Greece was the part of the Ottoman empire since the fifteenth century. The growth of revolutionary nationalism in Europe motivated the Greeks to start a struggle for independence which began in 1821. The reaction of the struggle inspired the educated elite class of Europe and filled them with nationalistic feeling. Greece got support from other Greeks also residing in different countries. Poets and artists lauded Greece as the cradle of European civilisation and mobilised public opinion to support its struggle against a Muslim empire. One of the English poets, Lord Byron organised to fund and participated in the war. Finally, the day of joy came in 1832 and Greece was recognised as an independent nation by the Treaty of Constantinople.

29. Explain any three reasons for the nationalist upsurge in the 19th century in Europe.

Ans. War and territorial expansion definitely helped to create the environment of nationalism but cultural movement gave momentum to this feeling. The glorification of reason and science by the romantic artists and poets created a sense of shared collective heritage, a common cultural past, as the basis of a nation. At the same time folk songs, folk poetry and folk dances promoted the spirit of the nation. The vernacular language was one of the important aspects which encouraged the feeling of nationalism.

30. Explain the role of language in developing nationalist sentiments in Europe.

Ans. At that time most of the people were illiterate. They were able to understand only vernacular, regional or simple language. That is why the use of the vernacular or regional language easily carried-out the modern nationalist message to the large audience easily.

Nationalist sentiment is also attached to the local language. The message conveyed in the vernacular language has a powerful effect. Folklore, folk tales and the activities concerned with vernacular language gave the feeling of nationalism and tied the people by the thread of national love and honour.