HISTORY in Europe

The Rise of Nationalism

CLASS
HISTORY – 10– 10
CLASS
BY

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Frederic Sorrieu’S Print on ‘Democratic
and Social Republics’
In 1848, Frédéric Sorrieu, a French artist, prepared a series
of four prints.

This picture shows his dream of a world made up of

‘democratic and social Republics’.

The picture shows Peoples of Europe and America marching

in a long train and offering homage to the statue of Liberty
as they pass by it.

Statue of Liberty is a symbol of freedom or liberty.

On the ground you can see the fallen symbols of absolute

governments.
(i) They introduced the ideas of la patrie ( the
father land) and le citoyen ( citizen). All citizens
were guaranteed equal rights.
(ii) A new tri colour national flag was adopted.
(iii) Hymns in praise of the Nation were
popularized. People took oath to stay united. They
paid tribute to martyrs.
(iv) A centralized administrative system with
uniform laws was established.
(v) Uniform system of weights and measures was
adopted.
(vi) Internal customs duties were abolished to
promote trade within the country.
(vii) French was promoted as the common
language of the nation.
• Students and middle class people of other
European countries were attracted by the ideas
of French Revolution.
• They formed Jacobins clubs. They wanted to end
autocracy in their countries.
• They welcome Nepoleon’s army. They considered
him as a liberator.
 CHANGES INTRODUCED BY NEPOLEON IN EUROPE
(i) Napoleon abolished feudal system.
(ii) He simplified administrative system.
(iii) He abolished serfdom and gave freedom to serfs.
(iv) He introduced uniform laws, uniform currency
and uniform system of weights and measures.
(v) Manorial dues were abolished.
(vi) Transport and communication facilities were
developed.
(vii) Guild restrictions were removed.
(viii) Civil Code of 1804 abolished all the privileges
based on birth.
Later they turned against the French rule due to
following reasons:
(i) The European Nations lost their political
freedom. They went under French rule.
(ii) Taxes were increased.
(iii) Censorship was introduced.
(iv) People were forced to join French army.
 IMPACT OF FRENCH REVOLUTION ON OTHER EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES
(i) French Revolution spread ideas like liberty, fraternity
and equality among the Europeans.
(ii) Jacobins Clubs were formed in different European
countries.
(iii) Liberalism spread. People opposed absolute
monarchy and the power of nobles.
(iv) People welcomed French army. They considered it as
a liberating force.
(v) Absolute monarchy was overthrown in some
countries.
(vi) Later, people turned against the French army. They
began to consider it as an aggressor.
 RISE OF NATIONALISM IN EUROPE
Political conditions in Europe during the mid 18th
century.
(i) Nation States did not exist in Europe during the
mid 18th century.
(ii) Modern nations like Germany and Italy were
divided in to kingdoms, duchies and cantons.
(iii) In Eastern and Central Europe, autocratic kings
established empires in which diverse people lived.
They spoke different languages and belonged to
different ethnic groups.
Social conditions of Europe in mid-eighteenth century
Europe.
(i) Nobles who were landlords dominated the social life.
They enjoyed many privileges. They spoke French
language,
(ii) Peasants constituted majority in the society. They
were tenants and small cultivators.
(iii) In Eastern and Central Europe serfdom existed.
(iv) Industrial development resulted in the emergence of
two social groups – workers and middle class.
(v) Middle class people were educated and were
influenced by liberal ideas.
(vi) Church had a lot of influence over social life. Clergy
enjoyed many privileges
Main features of the class of landed aristocracy in
Europe during the18th century.
(i) Aristocracy in Europe was socially and politically
powerful during the 18th century.
(ii) They owned large Estates in villages and big
houses in towns.
(iii) They collected heavy rent and manorial dues
from the peasants.
(iv) They spoke French language and were united
by a common way of life.
(v) Their families were connected by marriage
relations.
 Impact of the Growth of Industries on Social,
economic and political conditions in Europe
(i) Growth of industries resulted in the emergence
of towns and cities. New liberal ideas spread
among the people of towns and cities.
(ii) A new social class called middle class emerged.
They were educated. They opposed privileges
based on birth and supported liberal ideas.
(iii) It also resulted in the emergence of a new
group called workers. They were united in their
struggle for rights.
 Middle Class – A social Group that led Nationalist
Movements
The middle class consisting of professionals,
businessmen, government officers and teachers
spearheaded nationalist movements in Europe.
(i) They were educated. They supported new liberal
ideas.
(ii) They wanted to put an end to privileges based on
birth.
(iii) They wanted to build Nation States.
(iv) They were against absolute monarchy. They
supported a government based on people’s consent.
 LIBERALS
The word liberalism originated from the Latin word
liber which means freedom.
(i) It opposed absolute monarchy and supported a
government based on people’s consent.
(ii) They demanded a constitution and elected
parliament.
(iii) They did not support universal adult franchise.
They wanted right to vote only for men with property.
(iv) They wanted to end the privileges enjoyed by the
nobles and the clergy.
(v) They supported individual freedom and equality
before law.
 Ideas of Liberals in the Economic Front
(i) Liberals wanted freedom of markets. They
wanted the Government to remove all restrictions.
(ii) They wanted all the restrictions on the
movement of goods, people and capital to be
withdrawn.
(iii) They demanded the abolition of internal
customs duty.
(iv) They supported a common system of weights
and measures and a national currency.
(v) In 1834, a customs union called Zollverein was
formed in Prussia. It abolished internal customs
duties and reduced the number of currencies.
 CONSERVATISM
• Conservatism emerged in Europe in 1815 after the
defeat of Napoleon.
(i) Conservatists supported traditional institutions
such as monarchy, church, social order , property and
family.
(ii) They did not want to return to the pre-
revolutionary days.
(iii) They believed that the modern ideas would
strengthen monarchy and make it more powerful and
effective.
(iv) Modern army, efficient officers and abolition of
feudalism and serfdom would make monarchy strong.
 Treaty of Vienna of 1815
After the defeat of Napoleon, the leaders of Britain,
Russia, Prussia and Austria met at Vienna and signed
treaty.
(i) Bourbon dynasty was re-established in France.
(ii) France lost territories captured by Napoleon.
(iii) New kingdoms were set up along the boundaries of
France.
(iv) Netherland was set up in the north.
(v) Prussia got territories along the west.
(vi) Austria was given northern parts of Italy.
(vii) Russia got a part of Poland. Saxony was given to
Prussia. But the confederation of 39 states set up by
Napoleon was left untouched.
 Duke Metternich

(i) Duke Metternich was the Chancellor of Austria.

(ii) He was a conservative. He wanted to

strengthen autocratic monarchy.

(iii) He hosted the Vienna Conference that

prepared the Treaty of Vienna.

(iv) He played a major role in establishing

conservative Governments in several European
countries.
 Characteristics of the conservative regimes
set up in 1815
(i) They were autocratic governments.
(ii) They did not tolerate criticism and opposition.
(iii) Censorship laws were strictly implemented to
prevent campaigns against the Government.
IV)People were not given freedom and rights.
 LIBERAL NATIONALISTS AFTER 1815
(REVOLUTIONARIES)

(i) After 1815, the liberals worked underground.

(ii) They set up secret societies to train

revolutionaries and spread their ideas.

(iii) They opposed the absolute monarchies and

demanded liberty and freedom.

(iv) They also supported the formation of nation

states
 Giuseppe Mazzini -Italian revolutionary
i. Born in genoa 1807, member of secret society
carbonari.
ii. He was sent on exile for trying a revolution in
Liguria.

iii. He founded two secret societies – Young Italy

(Marseilles) and Young Europe(berne)

iv. He supported the formation of Nation States. He

opposed absolute monarchy.
v. Metternich described him as ‘the most dangerous
enemy of our social order’.
 Upheaval in France in 1830

(i) The Bourbon dynasty was overthrown by

liberal revolutionaries.

(ii) A constitutional monarchy was installed with

Louis Philippe as its head.

(iii) Revolutions started in other European

countries. Belgium won freedom from
Netherlands. Greece won freedom from
Ottoman Empire.
It means that the events that occur in France will
have direct effect on the other European countries.
(i) After the French Revolution of 1789,
revolutionary spirit spread all over Europe.
(ii) The French Revolution spread liberal ideas like
liberty, fraternity and equality among the European
countries. Jacobins clubs were formed in many
countries.
(iii) After a revolution in France in 1830, similar
revolutions occurred in Belgium, Greece and other
countries.
 Greek War of Independence
(i) Greek nationalists got support from Greeks living
in exile and also from other Europeans. They all had
sympathy towards ancient Greek culture.
(ii) Poets and artists called Greece, the cradle of
European civilization and mobilized public opinion
in support of the struggle against a Muslim Empire.
(iii) Lord Byron collected funds and participated in
the fight for freedom.
(iv) The Treaty of Constantinople signed in 1832,
gave freedom to Greece.
 Romanticism was a cultural movement that
promoted national feelings.
(i) It opposed the glorification of Science and reason.
It gave importance to emotions, intuitions and
mystical feelings.
(ii) It supported common culture as the basis of a
Nation.
(iii) It made use of folk tales, folk songs and folk
dances and paintings to promote Nationalism.
(iv) Vernacular languages were also used to create
national identity.
• The German philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder
(1744-1803) claimed that true German culture was to
be discovered among the common people – das volk.
The emphasis on vernacular language and the
collection of local folklore was not just to recover an
ancient national spirit, but also to carry the modern
nationalist message to large audiences who were
mostly illiterate. This was especially so in the case of
Poland, which had been partitioned at the end of the
eighteenth century by the Great Powers – Russia,
Prussia and Austria.
• Even though Poland no longer existed as an
independent territory, national feelings were
kept alive through music and language. Karol
Kurpinski, for example, celebrated the national
struggle through his operas and music, turning
folk dances like the polonaise and mazurka
into nationalist symbols.
• Language too played an important role in
developing nationalist sentiments. After Russian
occupation, the Polish language was forced out of
schools and the Russian language was imposed
everywhere. In 1831, an armed rebellion against
Russian rule took place which was ultimately
crushed. Following this, many members of the
clergy in Poland began to use language as a
weapon of national resistance. Polish was used for
Church gatherings and all religious instruction.
 (i) Rapid growth of population resulted in large scale poverty
and unemployment in European countries.
(ii) Rural people migrated in large numbers to urban areas.
This resulted in the growth of slums.
(iii) Small producers faced competition from the machine
made goods that came from England. Many small
production units were closed.
(iv) In some places, aristocracy continued to be powerful.
Peasants had to pay feudal dues.
(v) During the periods of bad harvest food prices increased.
National assembly granted suffrage to men above 21 and right
to work and workshops for employment set up
Weavers fought with contractors who reduced their payment
in silesia
 Efforts made by the liberal middle class for the
unification of Germany.

(i) The liberal middle class met at Frankfurt

formed an all-German National Assembly.

(ii) On 18 May 1848, 831 elected representatives

attended Frankfurt parliament meeting in the
Church of St Paul.

(iii) They drafted a constitution for a German

Nation with a constitutional monarchy.
(iv) They offered the position of King to Friedrich
Wilhelm IV, King of Prussia.

(v) The King rejected the offer and along with other
kings opposed the elected assembly.

(vi) Parliament mostly consisted of middle class. The

lost the support of ordinary people.Aristrocracy and
army opposed

(vii) Finally, the rulers succeeded in dissolving the

Assembly with the help of army.
 i) In 1848, the middle class tried to build a united
Germany. They met at Frankfurt and formed a
national assembly. However, their attempt ended in
failure.
ii) Prussia took over the leadership of German
unification movement.
iii) The chief minister of Prussia, Otto Von Bismarck
Otto Von Bismarck was the architect of German
unification. Started efforts to build a German nation.
iv) Prussia defeated Austria, Denmark and France in
wars.
v) In January 1871, a united German Nation was
established with the Prussian king, Kaiser William I
 ITALY BEFORE UNIFICATION
(i) Italy was divided in to several kingdoms
and a multi – national Habsburg Empire.
(ii) During the middle of the nineteenth
century, Italy was divided into seven states.
(iii) Sardinia-Piedmont was ruled by an Italian
King. The north was under Habsburgs Empire.
The centre was ruled by the Pope and the
southern regions were under the domination
of the Bourbon kings of Spain.
(iv) Italian language did not acquire common
form .It had many regional variations.
 i) In 1830, Mazzini tried to unite Italy. He formed a
secret society called ‘Young Italy’ to achieve his goal.
His efforts ended in failure.
ii) After 1848, the king of Sardinia – Piedmont, Victor
Emmanuel II took over the leadership of Italian
unification movement.
iii) Cavour, the chief minister of Sardinia started efforts
to build a united Italy with the support of France.
iv) He succeeded in defeating Austria in 1859.
v) Armed volunteers led by Garibaldi(Italian General)
helped Cavour, to defeat the kingdom of two Sicillies.
They also got the support of local peasants.
vi) In 1861, a united Italy was established with Victor
Emmanuel II as the Emperor.
Giuseppe Maria Garibald
Garibaldi was a follower of the Italian
nationalist Mazzini and embraced the
republican nationalism of the Young Italy
movement. He became a supporter of Italian
unification under a democratic republican
government. However, breaking with
Mazzini, he pragmatically allied himself with
the monarchist Cavour and Kingdom of
Piedmont-Sardinia in the struggle for
independence, subordinating his republican
ideals to his nationalist ones until Italy was
unified
 UNIFICATION OF BRITAIN
i) English, Welsh, Scot and Irish ethnic groups lived in
British islands.
ii) In 1688, the English parliament captured power from the
Monarchy.
iii) In 1707, the United Kingdom of Great Britain was
formed by the unification of England and Scotland.
iv) British parliament was dominated by English members.
Scots were suppressed.
v) Ireland was forcibly taken by Britain after the failure of a
revolution led by Wolfe Tone.
vi) A strong British nation with a flag and a national anthem
was established, other ethnic groups were suppressed.
 VISUALISING THE NATION

i) In order to spread national spirit, the nationalists

made symbolic personification of the idea of nation.

ii) From 1789, females appeared in paintings as

symbol of liberty and revolution.

iii) The French revolutionaries created the image of

iv) Marianne’s statues were erected in public places and

her images were marked on coins and stamps.

v) Germania became the symbol of German nation. She is

wearing a crown of oak leaves. Oak represented heroism.

vi) French artists used symbols like Red cap and broken

chains for freedom. They used the image of a lady with a

balance in hand as a symbol of justice.

 Nationalism Promoted Imperialism
i) Extreme nationalism developed in Europe in the last
part of the 19th century. Nationalism lost its liberal
democratic outlook and became narrow.
ii) Nationalists become intolerant to the other nations
and people.
iii) European rulers made use of nationalist feelings in
order to achieve their imperialist goals.
iv) Growth of extreme nationalism and the fall of
Ottoman Empire created conflicts and troubles in
the Balkans.
v) Balkan states won freedom and then they started
fighting against each other over the question of
sharing territories.
vi) Extreme nationalism and imperialist ambitions
created several conflicts between the major
European powers. All these resulted in the outbreak
of First World War.
(i) The Balkans was a region consisting of Romania,
Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia-
Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro.

(ii) The people of Balkans were known as the Slavs.

The Balkans was under the control of the Ottoman
Empire.

(iii) The spread of romantic nationalism in the Balkans

together with the decline of the Ottoman Empire
made this region very explosive.
(iv) The Balkan States declared freedom and

became independent Nations.

(v) The conflicts started between Balkan States over

the sharing of territories.

(vi) The interference of big European powers in the

Balkan issue created more conflicts. All these led to