The Rise of Nationalism in Europe Class 10 NCERT Solutions 2026 PDF Download

Ans:
(a) Guiseppe Mazzini: An Italian revolutionary born in Genoa in 1807. He was a member of the secret society of Carbonari. He founded two underground societies, 'Young Italy' in Marseilles and 'Young Europe' in Berne. He believed God had intended nations to be the natural units of mankind. Metternich described him as "the most dangerous enemy of our social order."
(b) Count Camillo de Cavour: The Chief Minister of Sardinia-Piedmont who led the movement to unify Italy. He was neither a revolutionary nor a democrat. Through a tactful diplomatic alliance with France, he succeeded in defeating Austrian forces in 1859.
(c) The Greek War of Independence: An event that mobilized nationalist feelings among the educated elite across Europe. Greece had been part of the Ottoman Empire since the 15th century. The struggle began in 1821. The Treaty of Constantinople of 1832 recognized Greece as an independent nation.
(d) Frankfurt Parliament: In 1848, middle-class professionals and businessmen came together in Frankfurt to vote for an all-German National Assembly. They drafted a constitution for a German nation headed by a monarchy subject to a parliament. However, it was rejected by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia and eventually disbanded.
(e) Role of Women: Women formed their own political associations, founded newspapers, and took part in political meetings and demonstrations. Despite this, they were denied suffrage rights during the election of the Assembly and were admitted to the Frankfurt Parliament only as observers.

Ans: 1. The ideas of la patrie (the fatherland) and le citoyen (the citizen) emphasized a united community.
2. A new French flag, the tricolour, replaced the former royal standard.
3. The Estates General was renamed the National Assembly and elected by active citizens.
4. New hymns were composed, oaths taken, and martyrs commemorated.
5. A centralized administrative system was put in place with uniform laws for all citizens.
6. Internal custom duties were abolished, and a uniform system of weights and measures was adopted.
7. French became the common language of the nation.

Ans: They were female allegories used to represent the nation.
Marianne (France): Characterized by the red cap, the tricolour, and the cockade. Her statues were erected in public squares to remind the public of the national symbol of unity.
Germania (Germany): She wears a crown of oak leaves, as the German oak stands for heroism.
Importance: They gave the abstract idea of the nation a concrete form, creating a sense of national identity and reverence among the people.

Ans: 1. Nationalist feelings were widespread among middle-class Germans in 1848, but their attempt at a liberal nation-state (Frankfurt Parliament) failed.
2. Prussia took on the leadership of the movement for national unification.
3. Its Chief Minister, Otto von Bismarck, was the architect of this process, using the Prussian army and bureaucracy.
4. Three wars over seven years – with Austria, Denmark, and France – ended in Prussian victory.
5. In January 1871, the Prussian King, William I, was proclaimed German Emperor in a ceremony at Versailles.

Ans: Napoleon introduced the Civil Code of 1804 (Napoleonic Code):
1. Did away with all privileges based on birth.
2. Established equality before the law and secured the right to property.
3. In the Dutch Republic, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany, he simplified administrative divisions.
4. Abolished the feudal system and freed peasants from serfdom and manorial dues.
5. Guild restrictions were removed in towns. Transport and communication systems were improved.

Ans: Austrian Chancellor Duke Metternich.

Ans: The main aim was to undo most of the changes that had come about in Europe during the Napoleonic wars and to restore the monarchies that had been overthrown by Napoleon to create a new conservative order.

Ans: The right to vote.

Ans: Victor Emmanuel II.

Ans: A customs union formed in 1834 at the initiative of Prussia and joined by most of the German states. It abolished tariff barriers and reduced the number of currencies from over thirty to two.

Ans: (Romanticism)
1. Art, poetry, stories, and music helped express and shape nationalist feelings.
2. German philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder claimed true German culture was to be discovered among the common people (das volk) through folk songs, folk poetry, and folk dances.
3. Karol Kurpinski in Poland celebrated the national struggle through his operas and music, turning folk dances like the polonaise and mazurka into nationalist symbols.
4. Language played a key role; e.g., Polish was used as a weapon of national resistance against Russian dominance.

Ans: 1. In Britain, the formation of the nation-state was not the result of a sudden upheaval or revolution but a long-drawn-out process.
2. There was no British nation prior to the 18th century (identities were ethnic: English, Welsh, Scot, Irish).
3. The English Parliament seized power from the monarchy in 1688 (Glorious Revolution).
4. The Act of Union (1707) between England and Scotland resulted in the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain'.
5. Ireland was forcibly incorporated into the UK in 1801. It was a parliamentary integration rather than a military conquest like in Germany or Italy.

Ans: 1. The Balkans was a region of geographical and ethnic variation (modern-day Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, etc.) whose inhabitants were called Slavs.
2. A large part was under the Ottoman Empire.
3. The spread of romantic nationalism and the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire made the region explosive.
4. Different Slavic nationalities struggled to define their identity and independence.
5. It became an area of big power rivalry (Russia, Germany, England) leading to a series of wars and finally the First World War.

Ans: In the economic sphere, liberalism stood for:
1. The freedom of markets.
2. The abolition of state-imposed restrictions on the movement of goods and capital.
3. The creation of a unified economic territory allowing the unhindered movement of goods, people, and capital (e.g., the formation of Zollverein).

Ans: 1. Enormous increase in population all over Europe.
2. Migration from rural areas to overcrowded city slums.
3. Small producers faced stiff competition from cheap machine-made imports from England.
4. Rise of food prices or bad harvest led to widespread pauperism (poverty).

Ans: It recognized Greece as an independent nation.

Ans: A French artist who, in 1848, prepared a series of four prints visualizing his dream of a world made up of 'Democratic and Social Republics'.

Ans: Giuseppe Garibaldi. He led the armed volunteers (Red Shirts) to liberate South Italy.

Ans: A vision of a society that is so ideal that it is unlikely to actually exist.

Ans: The initial enthusiasm turned to hostility as the new administrative arrangements did not go hand in hand with political freedom. Increased taxation, censorship, and forced conscription into the French armies outweighed the advantages of administrative changes.