Important questions: HISTORY

1.Summarise the attributes of a nation as Renan understands them.

Why, in his view, are nations important?

Ans: As per Ernst Renan, if the world had only one master and only
one law, it would be a problem, the existence of liberty is
guaranteed by the existence of nations. Hence the existence of a
nation is a necessity and a good thing. A nation is not interested in
holding on to a country against its will, and it never has any real
interest in annexing

As per Ernst Renan, the culmination of a long past of devotion, sacrifice and
endeavors is a nation. According to Ernst Renan, the base of a national idea
is to have social capital, glory, great men, and heroic past.

As per Ernst Renan if anyone has the right to be consulted in a nation, it is

the inhabitants. The existence of a nation is like a daily plebiscite, a large
scale solidarity. In a nation, the people wish to perform more, the people of a
nation should have common will in the present, and have common glories in
the past.

2.What did Liberal Nationalism stand for?

Ans: Liberal nationalism adheres to the values of freedom, tolerence,

equality and individual rights. The forcible suppression of opposition is an
example of fascism. People who believe in country expansion come under
the ideology of expansionist nationalism. Nationalism regarding linguistic
identity comes under cultural nationalism.

3.Describe the political ends that List hopes to achieve through

economic measures.

A customs union known as Zollverin was formed at the initiative of Prussia

and joined by most of the German states. This union removed internal
impediments and summed up 32 currencies into two. Besides this, it the aim
of the union is to bind the Germans economically into a nation by
strengthening the nation materially through its protection of interests
externally and stimulating its internal productivity. It must be awakened and
national sentiments should be raised through a fusion of individual and state
interests .

4.Discuss the importance of language and popular traditions in the

creation of national identity.
A person is identified as belonging to a particular nation by his cultural
traditions and the language that he speaks. The language as well as the
traditional practices usually develop and get established over a long period
of time. They gave an identity to the individual wherever he is. For example,
A French man will speak the French language. He will also follow French
customs and traditions wherever he is in the world as he would have imbibed
them in Scan to know his family from his childhood more about days. He will
be identified as a this topic French national everywhere.

5.Describe the cause of the Silesian weavers’ uprising. Comment on

the viewpoint of the journalist?

Ans: The cause of the Silesian weaver's uprising was the cheating
of the weavers by the contractors. In 1845, the weavers raised a
revolt against the contractors who used to supply them raw material
to weave textiles in finished form. The contractors drastically
reduced their payments. The viewpoint of the journalist Wilhelm
Wolft for this uprising was as fellows- Weaver's crowd reached the
house of the contractor and demanded higher wages. They were not
treated well, so a group of the crowd entered the contractors house
forcibly and destroyed the furniture, window panes, plundered it.
This shows that the viewpoint of the journalist was biased against
the weavers and in favour of the contractor. On the other hand, the
journalist did not understand the root cause of the uprising. He did
not understand the poverty of weavers.
6.What are the conditions that were viewed as obstacles to
the economic exchange and growth of the new commercial
classes during the 19th century in Europe?
Ans: The conditions that were viewed as obstacles to the economic
exchange and growth by the new commercial classes during the 19 th
century in Europe were:
(a) There were many states imposed restrictions on the movement
of goods, capital and people.
(b) Each confederation had its own system of weights and measures
that involved time consuming calculations.
© Because of countless principalities, there were many check posts
where custom duties were paid by the merchants. It resulted in price
rise and delay in supply
7. How were liberty and equality for women to be defined?
Ans: The French revolutionaries had raised the slogan of Liberty, Equality,
and Fraternity and these principles were made the basis of the French
revolution and the French national assembly had said it quite clearly by
issuing declaration of rights of men in 1789 that 'men are born free and
always continue to be free and equal in respect of their rights.' after this,19th
and 20th centuries with the development of the democratic principles the
concept of equality became more and more popular and it is the basic
principle of the present age.

8. Define the main aim of the French Revolutionaries?

Ans: Imperialism is the ideology and policy of extending the rule or authority of a
country over that of another and its people either through military, economic or political
means., capital and

Explain what is meant by the 1848 revolution of the liberals. What were the political,
social and economic ideas supported by the liberals? Discuss

Ans; The 1848 revolution of the liberals refers to the various national
movements pioneered by educated middle classes alongside the revolts of
the poor, unemployed and starving peasants and workers in Europe. The
political, social and economic ideas supported by the liberals were:

Politically, they demanded constitutionalism with national unification, nation-

state with a written constitution and parliamentary administration.

Socially, they wanted to rid society of its class-based partialities and

birthrights. Serfdom and bonded labor had to be abolished.

Economically they demanded freedom of markets and right to property. The

abolition of state-imposed restrictions on the movements of goods and
capital.

10. Through a focus on any two countries, explain how nations developed over the
nineteenth century?

Ans: Development of German and Italian nation states in 19 th Century:

● Political fragmentation: In the mid-

19th Century, today’s Germany and

Italy were divided into separate regions and kingdoms ruled by various

Princely houses.

● Revolutionary uprising:

19th Century Europe was characterized by

Uprising of the masses and revolution by middle class educated liberals.

Middle class of German regions came together and formed the German

National Assembly in 1848. In the Italian region, during the 1830’s,

Revolutionaries such as Giuseppe Mazzini launched the unitary Italian

Republic. Revolutionary uprising failed to unite Italy in 1831 and 1848.

● Unification with the help of the army: Failure of revolution led to the

Unification of German and Italian by army and aristocracy. The German

Was proclaimed in 1871. Germany was unified by Otto von Bismark

With the support of the Prussian bureaucracy and army.

11. Why did nationalist tensions emerge in the Balkans?

Ans: :Nationalist tensions emerged in the Balkans because of the spread of ideas of
romantic nationalism as also the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire that had
previously ruled over this area. The different Slavic communities in the Balkans began to
strive for independent rule. They were jealous of each other and every state wanted
more territory, even at the expense of others. Also, the hold of imperial power over the
Balkans made the situation worse. Russia, Germany, England, Austro-Hungary, all
wanted more control over this area. These conflicts ultimately led to the First World War
in 1914.

12. Explain any three causes of conflict in the ‘Balkan area’ after 1871.

Ans: The nationalist tensions emerged in the Balkans due to the

following reasons:
(i) Balkans was a region of geographical and ethnic variation
comprising modern-day Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece,
Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia and
Montenegro whose inhabitants were known as the Slavs. A large
part of Balkans was under the control of the Ottoman empire.
(ii) After the decline of the Ottoman empire and the growth of
romantic nationalism in the Balkans, the region became very
explosive. Its European subject nationalities broke away from its
control and declared independence.
(iii) As the different nationalities struggled to define their identity
and independence, the Balkan area became an area of intense
conflict. The Balkan states were fiercely jealous of each other and
each hoped to gain more territory at the expense of others.

15.Write a note on:

a) Guiseppe Mazzini

b) Count Camillo de Cavour

c) The Greek war of independence

b) Frankfurt parliament

c) The role of women in nationalist struggles

Answer: (a) Guiseppe Mazzini: He was an Italian revolutionary who played

a significant role in promoting the idea of a unified Italian state. He believed
that nations were the natural units of mankind, and so Italy (which was then
divided into a number of small states and kingdoms) had to be forged into a
single unified republic. During the 1830s, he strived to put together a
coherent programme for such a unitary Italian Republic. He also set up two
secret societies, namely Young Italy and Young Europe. These societies
helped in the dissemination of his ideas.

(b) Count Camillo de Cavour: Of the seven states of Italy, only Sardinia-
Piedmont was ruled by an Italian princely house. When the revolutionary
uprisings of 1831 and 1848 failed to unite Italy, the responsibility to establish
a unified Italy fell upon this Italian state. King Victor Emmanuel II was its
ruler and Cavour was the Chief Minister. Cavour led the movement to unite
the separate states of nineteenth-century Italy. He engineered a careful
diplomatic alliance with France, which helped Sardinia-Piedmont defeat the
Austrian forces in 1859, and thereby free the northern part of Italy from the
Austrian Habsburgs.

(c) The Greek war of independence: This was a successful war of

independence waged by Greek revolutionaries between 1821 and 1829
against the Ottoman Empire. The Greeks were supported by the West
European countries, while poets and artists hailed Greece as the cradle of
European civilisation. Finally, the Treaty of Constantinople of 1832 recognised
Greece as an independent nation.

(d) Frankfurt parliament: It was an all-German National Assembly formed by

the middle-class professionals, businessmen and prosperous artisans
belonging to the different German regions. It was convened on 18 May, 1848
in the Church of St. Paul, in the city of Frankfurt. This assembly drafted a
constitution for a German nation to be headed by a monarchy subject to a
parliament. However, it faced opposition from the aristocracy and military.
Also, as it was dominated by the middle classes, it lost its mass support
base. In the end, it was forced to disband on 31 May, 1849

The role of women in nationalist struggles: The issue of extending

political rights to women was a controversial one within the liberal
movement, in which large numbers of women had participated
actively over the years. Women had formed their own political
associations, founded newspapers and taken part in political
meetings and demonstrations. Despite this, they were denied
suffrage during the election of the Assembly. When the Frankfurt
Parliament convened in the Church of St. Paul, women were
admitted only as observers to stand in the visitors’ gallery.

14. What did Liberal Nationalism stand for? Explain any four ideas of Liberal
Nationalists in the economic sphere.

Ans: Liberalism or Liberal Nationalism stood for freedom for the individual
and equality of all before the law. Lour ideas of Liberal Nationalists in the
economic sphere are:
Liberalism stood for freedom of markets and abolition of state
imposed restriction. For example, Napoleon’s administration was a
confederation of 29 states, each of these possessed its own
currencies, weight and measures. Such conditions were viewed as
obstacles to economic exchange.

Liberal Nationalists argued for the creation of a unified economic

territory allowing the unhindered movement of goods, people and
capital.

In 1834, a customs union or ” zollverein” was formed. The union

abolished tariff barriers and reduced the number of currencies from
30 to 2.

The creation of a network of railways further stimulated mobility,

harnessing economic interest to national unification.

15.How did culture play an important role in creating the idea of the
‘nation’ in Europe? Explain with examples. (2013 D)

Answer:

Culture, music, dance and religion played an important role in the

growth of nationalism.

(i) Role of culture was important in creating the idea of the

nation. Art, poetry, music etc. helped in developing and
expressing nationalist feelings. Romanticism was a cultural
movement that led to the development of nationalist
sentiment. Romantic artists and poets criticized the
glorification of reason and science and instead focussed on
emotions and intuition.

(ii) Artists in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries portrayed

nations as female figures. The female form, that was chosen
to personify the nation, did not stand for any particular
woman in real life. Rather it sought to give the abstract idea
of the nation in concrete form. That is, the female figure
became the allegory of the nation.
In France, she was named Marianne—a popular Christian name and
in Germany, Germania.

(iii) Language too played an important role in developing

nationalist sentiments. After Russian occupation, the Polish
language was forced out of schools and 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.

(iv) Romantics such as the German philosopher Herder claimed

that true German culture was to be discovered among the
common people – das volk. It was through folk songs, folk
poetry and folk dances that the true spirit of the nation was
popularized

16.How had revolutionaries spread their ideas in many European

States after 1815? Explain with examples. (2014 OD)

Answer:

Answer:

During the years following 1815, the fear of repression drove many
liberal nationalists underground.

Secret societies sprang up in many European states to train

revolutionaries and spread their ideas. Revolutionary ideas were
spread by opposing monarchical forms and to fight for liberty and
freedom.

Most of the revolutionaries also saw the creation of nation-states as

a necessary part of this struggle for freedom.
Giuseppe Mazzini was an Italian revolutionary bom in Geneva in
1807. He was a member of the Secret Society of the Carbonari. He
attempted a revolution in 1831 and was sent into exile.

He had set up two more underground societies, namely, Young Italy

(1832) in Marseilles and then Young Europe in Berne. The members
were like-minded young men from Poland, France, Italy and
Germany.

He opposed monarchy and small states and kingdoms and dreamt of

a Democratic Republic. He believed the unification of Italy alone
could be the basis of Italian liberty.