The Rise of Nationalism in Europe - History - Class 10 PDF Download

 Page 1


The Rise of Nationalism in Europe 
The Rise of Nationalism in Europe 
 
 
Nationalism is a sense of identity with the nation. Many European nations experienced heightened 
periods of nationalism in the 19
th
 century. 
 
Nationalism in Europe can be traced back to the decline of feudalism and the beginning of the 
Renaissance. The renaissance in Europe fostered new political ideas. 
 
The concepts of liberty, equality, Fraternity and nationalism dominated the social and political scene of 
Europe in the 19
th
 century. 
 
During the nineteenth century, nationalism emerged as a force which brought about sweeping changes in 
the political and mental world of Europe. 
 
Utopian vision refers to a vision of a society that is so ideal that it is unlikely to actually exist. 
Absolutism refers to a system of rule with a lot of uncontrolled power an oppressive monarchial 
government. 
 
A plebiscite is a direct vote by which the people of a region are asked to accept or reject a proposal. 
 
The end result of these changes was the emergence of the nation-state in place of the multi-national 
dynastic empires of Europe. 
 
 
French Revolution 
 
The French Revolution in 1789 was an influential event that marked the age of revolutions in Europe. The 
major outcome of the revolution was the formation of a constitutional monarchy and a sizeable reduction 
in the royal and feudal privileges. 
 
It paved the way for the achievement of bigger goals of national identity and national pride, which can be 
aptly called nationalism. 
 
The revolutionaries referred to France as la patrie or the fatherland, where all citizens, known as le 
citoyen, enjoyed equal rights under the constitution. The revolutionaries tried to establish a collective 
French identity for the people by adopting French flag, composing nationalistic songs and hymns, 
discouraging the use of regional dialects and adopting French as the common language of France. 
Page 2


The Rise of Nationalism in Europe 
The Rise of Nationalism in Europe 
 
 
Nationalism is a sense of identity with the nation. Many European nations experienced heightened 
periods of nationalism in the 19
th
 century. 
 
Nationalism in Europe can be traced back to the decline of feudalism and the beginning of the 
Renaissance. The renaissance in Europe fostered new political ideas. 
 
The concepts of liberty, equality, Fraternity and nationalism dominated the social and political scene of 
Europe in the 19
th
 century. 
 
During the nineteenth century, nationalism emerged as a force which brought about sweeping changes in 
the political and mental world of Europe. 
 
Utopian vision refers to a vision of a society that is so ideal that it is unlikely to actually exist. 
Absolutism refers to a system of rule with a lot of uncontrolled power an oppressive monarchial 
government. 
 
A plebiscite is a direct vote by which the people of a region are asked to accept or reject a proposal. 
 
The end result of these changes was the emergence of the nation-state in place of the multi-national 
dynastic empires of Europe. 
 
 
French Revolution 
 
The French Revolution in 1789 was an influential event that marked the age of revolutions in Europe. The 
major outcome of the revolution was the formation of a constitutional monarchy and a sizeable reduction 
in the royal and feudal privileges. 
 
It paved the way for the achievement of bigger goals of national identity and national pride, which can be 
aptly called nationalism. 
 
The revolutionaries referred to France as la patrie or the fatherland, where all citizens, known as le 
citoyen, enjoyed equal rights under the constitution. The revolutionaries tried to establish a collective 
French identity for the people by adopting French flag, composing nationalistic songs and hymns, 
discouraging the use of regional dialects and adopting French as the common language of France. 
The Rise of Nationalism in Europe 
 
The French Revolution had its impact on the administration as well. 
? A body of active citizens, elected the Estates General and renamed it the National Assembly. 
? A centralised administrative system was created formulating uniform laws for all French citizens. 
? All internal custom duties and dues were abolished. 
? A uniform system of weights and measures was adopted. 
 
The metric system was founded by France in 1791. The French revolutionaries also took it upon 
themselves to help other European countries to overcome autocracy and form nations. The French 
armies were welcomed by European countries like Holland, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy in the 1790s. 
 
After the French Revolution emerged a famous historic personality and warrior, Napoleon Bonaparte. He 
introduced several effective administrative changes like the civil code of 1804 introduced by Napoleon 
also known as the Napoleonic code. 
 
As per this code: 
? The privileges enjoyed by the noblemen and clergy on the basis of birth were abolished. 
? Equality before law and the right to property was secured. 
? The feudal system was abolished and the peasants were freed from serfdom and the payment of 
dues to the manor owner. 
? The businessmen and small producers of goods felt that uniform laws, standardised weights and a 
common national currency could facilitate free trade across Europe. 
? Guild restrictions were removed and transport and communication systems were improved. 
 
The countries under the French rule soon realised that their political freedom that had been lost. 
Higher taxes, forced enrolment of people into the French army and censorship overshadowed the positive 
administrative changes brought about by Napoleon, and led to his downfall. 
 
Advent of Liberalism in Europe 
 
 
During the mid-18
th
 century, Europe was divided into several small kingdoms and principalities. The 
concept of nation states did not exist at all. People with diverse ethnic groups lived in eastern and central 
Europe. 
 
The prominent empires in Europe were the autocratic Ottoman Empire that ruled over eastern and central 
Europe, and Greece and the Habsburg Empire that ruled over Austria-Hungary. People residing in the 
Habsburg Empire spoke different dialects and did not share a collective past. The difference in cultural 
background and the desire to use the ideas of the French Revolution led people towards a common goal 
–nationalism. During the 19
th
 century, the landed aristocracy was a small but influential class in Europe 
Page 3


The Rise of Nationalism in Europe 
The Rise of Nationalism in Europe 
 
 
Nationalism is a sense of identity with the nation. Many European nations experienced heightened 
periods of nationalism in the 19
th
 century. 
 
Nationalism in Europe can be traced back to the decline of feudalism and the beginning of the 
Renaissance. The renaissance in Europe fostered new political ideas. 
 
The concepts of liberty, equality, Fraternity and nationalism dominated the social and political scene of 
Europe in the 19
th
 century. 
 
During the nineteenth century, nationalism emerged as a force which brought about sweeping changes in 
the political and mental world of Europe. 
 
Utopian vision refers to a vision of a society that is so ideal that it is unlikely to actually exist. 
Absolutism refers to a system of rule with a lot of uncontrolled power an oppressive monarchial 
government. 
 
A plebiscite is a direct vote by which the people of a region are asked to accept or reject a proposal. 
 
The end result of these changes was the emergence of the nation-state in place of the multi-national 
dynastic empires of Europe. 
 
 
French Revolution 
 
The French Revolution in 1789 was an influential event that marked the age of revolutions in Europe. The 
major outcome of the revolution was the formation of a constitutional monarchy and a sizeable reduction 
in the royal and feudal privileges. 
 
It paved the way for the achievement of bigger goals of national identity and national pride, which can be 
aptly called nationalism. 
 
The revolutionaries referred to France as la patrie or the fatherland, where all citizens, known as le 
citoyen, enjoyed equal rights under the constitution. The revolutionaries tried to establish a collective 
French identity for the people by adopting French flag, composing nationalistic songs and hymns, 
discouraging the use of regional dialects and adopting French as the common language of France. 
The Rise of Nationalism in Europe 
 
The French Revolution had its impact on the administration as well. 
? A body of active citizens, elected the Estates General and renamed it the National Assembly. 
? A centralised administrative system was created formulating uniform laws for all French citizens. 
? All internal custom duties and dues were abolished. 
? A uniform system of weights and measures was adopted. 
 
The metric system was founded by France in 1791. The French revolutionaries also took it upon 
themselves to help other European countries to overcome autocracy and form nations. The French 
armies were welcomed by European countries like Holland, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy in the 1790s. 
 
After the French Revolution emerged a famous historic personality and warrior, Napoleon Bonaparte. He 
introduced several effective administrative changes like the civil code of 1804 introduced by Napoleon 
also known as the Napoleonic code. 
 
As per this code: 
? The privileges enjoyed by the noblemen and clergy on the basis of birth were abolished. 
? Equality before law and the right to property was secured. 
? The feudal system was abolished and the peasants were freed from serfdom and the payment of 
dues to the manor owner. 
? The businessmen and small producers of goods felt that uniform laws, standardised weights and a 
common national currency could facilitate free trade across Europe. 
? Guild restrictions were removed and transport and communication systems were improved. 
 
The countries under the French rule soon realised that their political freedom that had been lost. 
Higher taxes, forced enrolment of people into the French army and censorship overshadowed the positive 
administrative changes brought about by Napoleon, and led to his downfall. 
 
Advent of Liberalism in Europe 
 
 
During the mid-18
th
 century, Europe was divided into several small kingdoms and principalities. The 
concept of nation states did not exist at all. People with diverse ethnic groups lived in eastern and central 
Europe. 
 
The prominent empires in Europe were the autocratic Ottoman Empire that ruled over eastern and central 
Europe, and Greece and the Habsburg Empire that ruled over Austria-Hungary. People residing in the 
Habsburg Empire spoke different dialects and did not share a collective past. The difference in cultural 
background and the desire to use the ideas of the French Revolution led people towards a common goal 
–nationalism. During the 19
th
 century, the landed aristocracy was a small but influential class in Europe 
The Rise of Nationalism in Europe 
and dominated both the social and political spheres. 
 
Members of this class, in Europe, were connected to each other because of their similar way of life and 
inter-marriages. They owned large estates in the country side and town houses. 
 
French was a common language spoken by them for diplomacy and high society. A majority of the 
European population was made up of peasants and serfs. In western Europe, most of the land was tilled 
by tenants and small owners, while in central and eastern Europe, estates were cultivated by serfs. With 
industrialisation in the late 18
th
 and 19
th
 centuries, new social groups came into existence i.e. the working 
class and the middle class. 
 
The middle class had a free-thinking liberal mindset and the ideas of nationalism led them towards 
bridging the gap between aristocracy and other classes. They wanted to end the autocratic rule and form 
a national government of the people. The word liberalism traces its roots to the Latin word ‘liber,’ meaning 
free. The concept of liberalism was born in the middle class. 
 
The middle class believed in the need for freedom and equality of all individuals before law. Although 
liberalism popularised the idea of a people’s government, the right to vote or suffrage was not extended to 
all citizens. In France, women were given the status of a minor and subjugated to the authority of men. 
 
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, women and non-propertied men organised protests and 
movements demanding equal rights. Liberalism implied freedom of markets, and free movement of goods 
and capital. The Napoleonic Code, though revolutionary for its time, was unable to address the growing 
needs of the industrialists. 
 
In 1834, a customs union, or ‘Zollverein,’ was formed at the initiative of Prussia and joined by most of the 
German states. This union eliminated tariff barriers and reduced the number of currencies from over 30, 
to 2. A railway network was initiated, which enhanced mobility and communication between the 
economies. 
 
Rise of Conservatism and Revolutionaries 
 
 
The middle class believed in freedom and equality of all individuals before law. Liberalism was used by to 
end aristocracy and clerical privileges. After the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815, the European 
government adopted the idea of conservatism. 
 
Conservatism was a political philosophy that stressed the importance of tradition, established institutions 
and customs, and preferred gradual development than quick change. 
 
Conservatives firmly believed that the aristocratic monarchies of Europe could gain a lot from a modern 
army, an efficient bureaucracy, a dynamic economy, and the abolition of feudalism and serfdom. In 1815, 
Page 4


The Rise of Nationalism in Europe 
The Rise of Nationalism in Europe 
 
 
Nationalism is a sense of identity with the nation. Many European nations experienced heightened 
periods of nationalism in the 19
th
 century. 
 
Nationalism in Europe can be traced back to the decline of feudalism and the beginning of the 
Renaissance. The renaissance in Europe fostered new political ideas. 
 
The concepts of liberty, equality, Fraternity and nationalism dominated the social and political scene of 
Europe in the 19
th
 century. 
 
During the nineteenth century, nationalism emerged as a force which brought about sweeping changes in 
the political and mental world of Europe. 
 
Utopian vision refers to a vision of a society that is so ideal that it is unlikely to actually exist. 
Absolutism refers to a system of rule with a lot of uncontrolled power an oppressive monarchial 
government. 
 
A plebiscite is a direct vote by which the people of a region are asked to accept or reject a proposal. 
 
The end result of these changes was the emergence of the nation-state in place of the multi-national 
dynastic empires of Europe. 
 
 
French Revolution 
 
The French Revolution in 1789 was an influential event that marked the age of revolutions in Europe. The 
major outcome of the revolution was the formation of a constitutional monarchy and a sizeable reduction 
in the royal and feudal privileges. 
 
It paved the way for the achievement of bigger goals of national identity and national pride, which can be 
aptly called nationalism. 
 
The revolutionaries referred to France as la patrie or the fatherland, where all citizens, known as le 
citoyen, enjoyed equal rights under the constitution. The revolutionaries tried to establish a collective 
French identity for the people by adopting French flag, composing nationalistic songs and hymns, 
discouraging the use of regional dialects and adopting French as the common language of France. 
The Rise of Nationalism in Europe 
 
The French Revolution had its impact on the administration as well. 
? A body of active citizens, elected the Estates General and renamed it the National Assembly. 
? A centralised administrative system was created formulating uniform laws for all French citizens. 
? All internal custom duties and dues were abolished. 
? A uniform system of weights and measures was adopted. 
 
The metric system was founded by France in 1791. The French revolutionaries also took it upon 
themselves to help other European countries to overcome autocracy and form nations. The French 
armies were welcomed by European countries like Holland, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy in the 1790s. 
 
After the French Revolution emerged a famous historic personality and warrior, Napoleon Bonaparte. He 
introduced several effective administrative changes like the civil code of 1804 introduced by Napoleon 
also known as the Napoleonic code. 
 
As per this code: 
? The privileges enjoyed by the noblemen and clergy on the basis of birth were abolished. 
? Equality before law and the right to property was secured. 
? The feudal system was abolished and the peasants were freed from serfdom and the payment of 
dues to the manor owner. 
? The businessmen and small producers of goods felt that uniform laws, standardised weights and a 
common national currency could facilitate free trade across Europe. 
? Guild restrictions were removed and transport and communication systems were improved. 
 
The countries under the French rule soon realised that their political freedom that had been lost. 
Higher taxes, forced enrolment of people into the French army and censorship overshadowed the positive 
administrative changes brought about by Napoleon, and led to his downfall. 
 
Advent of Liberalism in Europe 
 
 
During the mid-18
th
 century, Europe was divided into several small kingdoms and principalities. The 
concept of nation states did not exist at all. People with diverse ethnic groups lived in eastern and central 
Europe. 
 
The prominent empires in Europe were the autocratic Ottoman Empire that ruled over eastern and central 
Europe, and Greece and the Habsburg Empire that ruled over Austria-Hungary. People residing in the 
Habsburg Empire spoke different dialects and did not share a collective past. The difference in cultural 
background and the desire to use the ideas of the French Revolution led people towards a common goal 
–nationalism. During the 19
th
 century, the landed aristocracy was a small but influential class in Europe 
The Rise of Nationalism in Europe 
and dominated both the social and political spheres. 
 
Members of this class, in Europe, were connected to each other because of their similar way of life and 
inter-marriages. They owned large estates in the country side and town houses. 
 
French was a common language spoken by them for diplomacy and high society. A majority of the 
European population was made up of peasants and serfs. In western Europe, most of the land was tilled 
by tenants and small owners, while in central and eastern Europe, estates were cultivated by serfs. With 
industrialisation in the late 18
th
 and 19
th
 centuries, new social groups came into existence i.e. the working 
class and the middle class. 
 
The middle class had a free-thinking liberal mindset and the ideas of nationalism led them towards 
bridging the gap between aristocracy and other classes. They wanted to end the autocratic rule and form 
a national government of the people. The word liberalism traces its roots to the Latin word ‘liber,’ meaning 
free. The concept of liberalism was born in the middle class. 
 
The middle class believed in the need for freedom and equality of all individuals before law. Although 
liberalism popularised the idea of a people’s government, the right to vote or suffrage was not extended to 
all citizens. In France, women were given the status of a minor and subjugated to the authority of men. 
 
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, women and non-propertied men organised protests and 
movements demanding equal rights. Liberalism implied freedom of markets, and free movement of goods 
and capital. The Napoleonic Code, though revolutionary for its time, was unable to address the growing 
needs of the industrialists. 
 
In 1834, a customs union, or ‘Zollverein,’ was formed at the initiative of Prussia and joined by most of the 
German states. This union eliminated tariff barriers and reduced the number of currencies from over 30, 
to 2. A railway network was initiated, which enhanced mobility and communication between the 
economies. 
 
Rise of Conservatism and Revolutionaries 
 
 
The middle class believed in freedom and equality of all individuals before law. Liberalism was used by to 
end aristocracy and clerical privileges. After the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815, the European 
government adopted the idea of conservatism. 
 
Conservatism was a political philosophy that stressed the importance of tradition, established institutions 
and customs, and preferred gradual development than quick change. 
 
Conservatives firmly believed that the aristocratic monarchies of Europe could gain a lot from a modern 
army, an efficient bureaucracy, a dynamic economy, and the abolition of feudalism and serfdom. In 1815, 
The Rise of Nationalism in Europe 
after the defeat of Napoleon, the representatives of European powers, namely Austria, Britain, Prussia 
and Russia, met at Vienna. This meeting is also known as the Treaty or Congress of Vienna. The chief 
architect and host of this treaty was the Austrian Chancellor, Duke Metternich. 
 
The purpose of this treaty was to undo all the territorial changes taken place during the Napoleonic wars 
and create a new conservative order in Europe. 
? The Bourbon dynasty was restored to power. 
? France lost most of the territories it had gained during Napoleon’s time.  To prevent the expansion of 
France in the future, certain states were set up along the boundaries of France. 
? The German confederation of 39 states set up by Napoleon was not touched at all during this 
division. 
? The kingdom of the Netherlands, including Belgium, was set up in the north of France. 
? Genoa was added to Piedmont in the south of France. 
? Russia was given a part of Poland, while Prussia was given a portion of Saxony. 
 
The conservative regimes set up through the treaty of Vienna in 1815 were autocratic in nature. They 
tried to curb the freedom of expression and imposed censorship laws on newspapers, books, plays and 
songs as they championed freedom. The liberals were not happy with the autocratic ways of the 
conservatives and raised their voice against the censorship of the press and the autocratic monarchical 
structures. 
 
After 1815, several liberals began working in secret societies all over Europe to propagate their views and 
train revolutionaries. Revolutionaries were seen as a threat to the restored monarchies, and hence, were 
repressed. 
 
Giuseppe Mazzini, a famous Italian revolutionary was born in 1807 in Genoa. He was part of a secret 
society called Carbonari and founded two underground societies called Young Italy in Marseilles, and 
Young Europe in Berne. 
 
In 1831, Mazzini was sent into exile for attempting a revolution in Liguria. Mazzini believed in the 
unification of the small kingdoms and principalities in Italy. These societies were joined by like-minded 
young men from Poland, France, Italy, and the German states 
 
Age of Revolutions [1830 To 1848] 
 
 
The period between 1830 and 1848 was marked by a lot of tensions and turmoil in Europe. Europe had 
witnessed the dramatic rise of two philosophies, liberalism and conservatism. The liberal nationalists or 
the educated middle class planned ways to overthrow monarchy and bring in a government of the people. 
Europe hence saw a series of revolutions in Italy, Germany, Poland, Turkey and Ireland. 
 
Page 5


The Rise of Nationalism in Europe 
The Rise of Nationalism in Europe 
 
 
Nationalism is a sense of identity with the nation. Many European nations experienced heightened 
periods of nationalism in the 19
th
 century. 
 
Nationalism in Europe can be traced back to the decline of feudalism and the beginning of the 
Renaissance. The renaissance in Europe fostered new political ideas. 
 
The concepts of liberty, equality, Fraternity and nationalism dominated the social and political scene of 
Europe in the 19
th
 century. 
 
During the nineteenth century, nationalism emerged as a force which brought about sweeping changes in 
the political and mental world of Europe. 
 
Utopian vision refers to a vision of a society that is so ideal that it is unlikely to actually exist. 
Absolutism refers to a system of rule with a lot of uncontrolled power an oppressive monarchial 
government. 
 
A plebiscite is a direct vote by which the people of a region are asked to accept or reject a proposal. 
 
The end result of these changes was the emergence of the nation-state in place of the multi-national 
dynastic empires of Europe. 
 
 
French Revolution 
 
The French Revolution in 1789 was an influential event that marked the age of revolutions in Europe. The 
major outcome of the revolution was the formation of a constitutional monarchy and a sizeable reduction 
in the royal and feudal privileges. 
 
It paved the way for the achievement of bigger goals of national identity and national pride, which can be 
aptly called nationalism. 
 
The revolutionaries referred to France as la patrie or the fatherland, where all citizens, known as le 
citoyen, enjoyed equal rights under the constitution. The revolutionaries tried to establish a collective 
French identity for the people by adopting French flag, composing nationalistic songs and hymns, 
discouraging the use of regional dialects and adopting French as the common language of France. 
The Rise of Nationalism in Europe 
 
The French Revolution had its impact on the administration as well. 
? A body of active citizens, elected the Estates General and renamed it the National Assembly. 
? A centralised administrative system was created formulating uniform laws for all French citizens. 
? All internal custom duties and dues were abolished. 
? A uniform system of weights and measures was adopted. 
 
The metric system was founded by France in 1791. The French revolutionaries also took it upon 
themselves to help other European countries to overcome autocracy and form nations. The French 
armies were welcomed by European countries like Holland, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy in the 1790s. 
 
After the French Revolution emerged a famous historic personality and warrior, Napoleon Bonaparte. He 
introduced several effective administrative changes like the civil code of 1804 introduced by Napoleon 
also known as the Napoleonic code. 
 
As per this code: 
? The privileges enjoyed by the noblemen and clergy on the basis of birth were abolished. 
? Equality before law and the right to property was secured. 
? The feudal system was abolished and the peasants were freed from serfdom and the payment of 
dues to the manor owner. 
? The businessmen and small producers of goods felt that uniform laws, standardised weights and a 
common national currency could facilitate free trade across Europe. 
? Guild restrictions were removed and transport and communication systems were improved. 
 
The countries under the French rule soon realised that their political freedom that had been lost. 
Higher taxes, forced enrolment of people into the French army and censorship overshadowed the positive 
administrative changes brought about by Napoleon, and led to his downfall. 
 
Advent of Liberalism in Europe 
 
 
During the mid-18
th
 century, Europe was divided into several small kingdoms and principalities. The 
concept of nation states did not exist at all. People with diverse ethnic groups lived in eastern and central 
Europe. 
 
The prominent empires in Europe were the autocratic Ottoman Empire that ruled over eastern and central 
Europe, and Greece and the Habsburg Empire that ruled over Austria-Hungary. People residing in the 
Habsburg Empire spoke different dialects and did not share a collective past. The difference in cultural 
background and the desire to use the ideas of the French Revolution led people towards a common goal 
–nationalism. During the 19
th
 century, the landed aristocracy was a small but influential class in Europe 
The Rise of Nationalism in Europe 
and dominated both the social and political spheres. 
 
Members of this class, in Europe, were connected to each other because of their similar way of life and 
inter-marriages. They owned large estates in the country side and town houses. 
 
French was a common language spoken by them for diplomacy and high society. A majority of the 
European population was made up of peasants and serfs. In western Europe, most of the land was tilled 
by tenants and small owners, while in central and eastern Europe, estates were cultivated by serfs. With 
industrialisation in the late 18
th
 and 19
th
 centuries, new social groups came into existence i.e. the working 
class and the middle class. 
 
The middle class had a free-thinking liberal mindset and the ideas of nationalism led them towards 
bridging the gap between aristocracy and other classes. They wanted to end the autocratic rule and form 
a national government of the people. The word liberalism traces its roots to the Latin word ‘liber,’ meaning 
free. The concept of liberalism was born in the middle class. 
 
The middle class believed in the need for freedom and equality of all individuals before law. Although 
liberalism popularised the idea of a people’s government, the right to vote or suffrage was not extended to 
all citizens. In France, women were given the status of a minor and subjugated to the authority of men. 
 
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, women and non-propertied men organised protests and 
movements demanding equal rights. Liberalism implied freedom of markets, and free movement of goods 
and capital. The Napoleonic Code, though revolutionary for its time, was unable to address the growing 
needs of the industrialists. 
 
In 1834, a customs union, or ‘Zollverein,’ was formed at the initiative of Prussia and joined by most of the 
German states. This union eliminated tariff barriers and reduced the number of currencies from over 30, 
to 2. A railway network was initiated, which enhanced mobility and communication between the 
economies. 
 
Rise of Conservatism and Revolutionaries 
 
 
The middle class believed in freedom and equality of all individuals before law. Liberalism was used by to 
end aristocracy and clerical privileges. After the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1815, the European 
government adopted the idea of conservatism. 
 
Conservatism was a political philosophy that stressed the importance of tradition, established institutions 
and customs, and preferred gradual development than quick change. 
 
Conservatives firmly believed that the aristocratic monarchies of Europe could gain a lot from a modern 
army, an efficient bureaucracy, a dynamic economy, and the abolition of feudalism and serfdom. In 1815, 
The Rise of Nationalism in Europe 
after the defeat of Napoleon, the representatives of European powers, namely Austria, Britain, Prussia 
and Russia, met at Vienna. This meeting is also known as the Treaty or Congress of Vienna. The chief 
architect and host of this treaty was the Austrian Chancellor, Duke Metternich. 
 
The purpose of this treaty was to undo all the territorial changes taken place during the Napoleonic wars 
and create a new conservative order in Europe. 
? The Bourbon dynasty was restored to power. 
? France lost most of the territories it had gained during Napoleon’s time.  To prevent the expansion of 
France in the future, certain states were set up along the boundaries of France. 
? The German confederation of 39 states set up by Napoleon was not touched at all during this 
division. 
? The kingdom of the Netherlands, including Belgium, was set up in the north of France. 
? Genoa was added to Piedmont in the south of France. 
? Russia was given a part of Poland, while Prussia was given a portion of Saxony. 
 
The conservative regimes set up through the treaty of Vienna in 1815 were autocratic in nature. They 
tried to curb the freedom of expression and imposed censorship laws on newspapers, books, plays and 
songs as they championed freedom. The liberals were not happy with the autocratic ways of the 
conservatives and raised their voice against the censorship of the press and the autocratic monarchical 
structures. 
 
After 1815, several liberals began working in secret societies all over Europe to propagate their views and 
train revolutionaries. Revolutionaries were seen as a threat to the restored monarchies, and hence, were 
repressed. 
 
Giuseppe Mazzini, a famous Italian revolutionary was born in 1807 in Genoa. He was part of a secret 
society called Carbonari and founded two underground societies called Young Italy in Marseilles, and 
Young Europe in Berne. 
 
In 1831, Mazzini was sent into exile for attempting a revolution in Liguria. Mazzini believed in the 
unification of the small kingdoms and principalities in Italy. These societies were joined by like-minded 
young men from Poland, France, Italy, and the German states 
 
Age of Revolutions [1830 To 1848] 
 
 
The period between 1830 and 1848 was marked by a lot of tensions and turmoil in Europe. Europe had 
witnessed the dramatic rise of two philosophies, liberalism and conservatism. The liberal nationalists or 
the educated middle class planned ways to overthrow monarchy and bring in a government of the people. 
Europe hence saw a series of revolutions in Italy, Germany, Poland, Turkey and Ireland. 
 
The Rise of Nationalism in Europe 
In 1821 in the Greek war of independence, the Greeks began a nationalist movement. Several poets 
(Lord Byron) and artists supported the Greek war against the Ottoman Empire. After the war, the Treaty 
of Constantinople was signed in 1832 and recognized Greece as an independent nation. 
 
In 1830 the Bourbon dynasty, restored in 1815 during the conservatives’ reaction, was overthrown by 
liberal revolutionaries. The French revolution of 1830 is also known as the July Revolution. 
 
In the 19th century, art, culture and literature helped in instilling the feeling of nationalism and also 
infusing the idea of a nation. After the French revolution, there was rise of a literary and cultural 
movement called romanticism, which sought to develop nationalist sentiment. This national sentiment 
was mobilised by artists by using the common language, or vernacular, and popular folk arts that people 
understood and identified with. 
 
Writers, poets, painters and musicians of the romantic era stressed on individualism, nationalism, feeling, 
imagination and emotion as opposed to reason and science. 
 
German romantic philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder stressed that true German culture could be found 
in folklore and folk art, of the common people. In Poland, nationalist feelings were kept alive through 
music and language. 
 
The Grimm brothers’ fairy tales, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were born in Germany.  They collected 
German folktales and popularized German. 
  
The years after 1830 were marked by a lot of anarchy and chaos. Europe witnessed the worst period of 
hunger and hardship. Bad harvest and a rise in food prices added to people’s woes. 
 
In the first half of the 19
th
 century, the population of Europe had increased a lot. This led to 
unemployment. Many people migrated from the rural areas to the growing slums in the cities.  
 
Small producers in towns faced stiff competition from cheap machine-made goods in England. In certain 
regions of Europe, aristocracy and feudalism still prevailed. In 1845 the Silesian weavers revolted against 
their contractors. In France, food shortage led to the peasants’ uprising in 1848.  
 
Revolutions of Liberals and Women 
 
The history of Europe between 1830 and 1848 is lined with many revolts and uprisings. An ideology is a 
system of ideas reflecting a particular social and political vision. In Germany, Italy, Poland and the Austro-
Hungarian Empire, men and women of the liberal middle class began demanding a constitution, and 
national unification. 
 
In Germany, many political associations from the middle and working class came together in Frankfurt to