Class 10 History - Nationalism in Europe

Nationalism was a force which brought about sweeping changes in the political and mental world of Europe.

1. The French Revolution (1789)

• The first clear expression of nationalism.
• Ideas of La Patrie (the fatherland) and Le Citoyen (the citizen).
• Introduction of a new French flag, the tricolour.
• Napoleonic Code (1804) abolished all privileges based on birth.

2. The Making of Nationalism in Europe

• No nation-states existed in the mid-18th century.
• The Aristocracy was the dominant class.
• The Middle Class (industrialists, businessmen) started demanding national unity.

3. The Revolution of the Liberals (1848)

• Men and women of the liberal middle classes combined their demands for constitutionalism with national unification.
• Frankfurt Parliament was convened in the Church of St. Paul.

4. The Unification of Germany and Italy

• Germany: Otto von Bismarck was the architect of this process. Proclaimed William I as German Emperor in 1871.
• Italy: Giuseppe Mazzini, Count Cavour, and Giuseppe Garibaldi were key figures. Victor Emmanuel II was proclaimed king of a united Italy in 1861.

5. Visualising the Nation

• Nations were often portrayed as female figures (Allegories).
• Marianne in France and Germania in Germany.

📅 Important Dates

• 1789: French Revolution.
• 1815: Battle of Waterloo; Congress of Vienna.
• 1848: Revolution of the Liberals.
• 1871: Unification of Germany.

Focus on the quote "When France sneezes, the rest of Europe catches cold"! 🇪🇺📜