The Rise of Nationalism in Europe class 10 Full chapter in animation | Gradebooster

Absolute monarchies and rigid class structures bred widespread discontent across Europe, setting the stage for radical change. The French Revolution shifted power from kings to citizens, uniting diverse communities under a new national identity symbolized by the tricolor flag and standardized laws. Centralized reforms abolished feudal privileges, standardized measures, and replaced outdated customs with a uniform administrative system. Napoleon later consolidated these changes with the Napoleonic Code and modernized governance, though his rule eventually faced resistance from those burdened by high taxes, censorship, and enforced military service.

Nationalism in mid-18th century Europe emerged without granting political freedom, creating widespread dissatisfaction. Regions like Germany, Italy, and Switzerland were divided into smaller kingdoms and duchies instead of unified nation-states. Eastern and Central Europe showcased a mosaic of cultures, languages, and ethnicities under monarchical rule. The Habsburg Empire exemplified this diversity, hosting dominant German, Italian, and various local dialects that hindered political unity.

Europe's landed aristocracy wielded significant influence by uniting through a refined lifestyle marked by grand country estates, urban residences, and the use of French for diplomatic elegance. Their power was consolidated through strategic marital ties, yet they formed a small elite against a vast backdrop of peasants, tenants, and serfs. Industrialization began in England and spread to France and the German states, igniting urban growth and a market-focused economy. This economic surge paved the way for the emergence of a vibrant working and middle class comprised of industrialists, businessmen, and professionals.

Liberal nationalism in early 19th century Europe demanded the end of absolute monarchy and the privileges of aristocracy, establishing government by consent and constitutional representation. The ideology promoted individual freedom, legal equality, and protection of private property, although these rights were limited to property-owning men while women and non-property owners were marginalized. Economic liberalism further advocated for free markets and a unified economic region, as evidenced by the creation of customs unions that removed trade barriers, standardized currencies, and boosted commerce through advancements like railways.

European governments embraced conservatism after Napoleon's defeat, aiming to preserve established institutions like the monarchy, Church, social hierarchies, property, and family by integrating modern elements such as efficient armies, bureaucracies, and dynamic economies. The Congress of Vienna redrew Europe’s map, restoring monarchies, establishing autocratic regimes, and reorganizing territories to contain French expansion. Despite strict censorship and political repression, the revolutionary spirit of liberal nationalism endured, continuously inspiring calls for liberty and reform.

Amid the repressive conservative regimes established after 1815, revolutionaries risked persecution to reclaim press freedom and champion national unity. Underground networks were formed as secret societies, mobilizing liberal nationalists to challenge entrenched monarchies and advocate for democratic ideals. Driven by the belief that natural nation-states were essential for liberty, influential figures like JPI Marsini energized movements by founding groups such as Young Italy and Young Europe. His unwavering vision for a unified republic inspired similar revolutionary efforts across Poland, France, Germany, and beyond.

Between 1830 and 1848, liberal nationalism challenged conservative regimes across Europe, sparking revolutions in regions like the Italian and German states, Ottoman provinces, Ireland, and Poland. The French July Revolution deposed the Bourbon monarchy and established a constitutional order, a change that rippled out to inspire Belgium's independence. Revolutionary fervor also kindled the Greek struggle for independence, uniting intellectuals and cultural figures around a vision of national rebirth.

Greek independence in 1832 ignited a national spirit anchored in cultural expression rather than military conquest. The Romantic movement celebrated emotions, intuition, and mystical values to forge a shared heritage that transcended rational thought. Folk songs, dances, and native languages became vital symbols of national identity and unity. In regions like partitioned Poland, musical tributes and the persistent use of local language acted as powerful forms of resistance against oppressive rule.

Europe in the early 19th century faced a surge in population that outstripped job availability, forcing rural residents into overcrowded urban slums. Small producers battled against cheap, machine-made imports, especially in textiles, intensifying economic struggles amid partial mechanization. Widespread food shortages, poor harvests, and heavy feudal obligations deepened poverty across both rural and urban areas. Protests culminated in Paris with barricades and the king's flight, paving the way for a republic that extended rights and created national workshops, while weavers in Cesia resorted to violent actions against underpaying contractors.

In 1848, revolutions swept Europe as the middle class, peasants, and workers demanded national unity and constitutional rights like freedom of the press and association. The fall of monarchy in France, which led to a republic with universal male suffrage, inspired similar calls across Germany, Italy, Poland, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In Germany, political associations met in Frankfurt to draft a constitution and offer a crown to Prussia’s king, an effort ultimately stymied by monarchial and military forces. Although the revolts were suppressed, they compelled monarchs to concede reforms, paving the way for the abolition of serfdom and bonded labor in later years.

After 1848, European nationalism shifted away from revolutionary ideas toward the consolidation of state power by conservative forces. Middle-class Germans sought to unify the German Confederation under an elected parliament but were suppressed by militaristic elites and established landowners. Prussian strategist Bismarck steered the nation through a series of victorious wars against Austria, Denmark, and France, culminating in King William I’s proclamation as German Emperor in January 1871. At the same time, Italy’s rulers exhibited a contrasting approach by granting increased autonomy to the Hungarians.

Italy was once fractured into several states under diverse authorities—Italian princes in Sardinia-Piedmont, Austrians in the north, the Papal rule in the center, and Spanish Bourbon power in the south—each with its own linguistic and cultural traits. Nationalist ambitions, first ignited by Mazzini and later steered by King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia-Piedmont, leveraged a French alliance and Garibaldi’s volunteer forces to consolidate the peninsula into a unified Italy by 1861, even though many peasants remained unacquainted with the national vision. Britain, by contrast, gradually evolved from a mosaic of English, Welsh, Scottish, and Irish identities into a unified state as England’s growing wealth and parliamentary power reshaped its political landscape. The unification of the British Isles—cemented by the 1707 Act of Union and the later inclusion of Ireland—advanced an English cultural dominance that subdued distinctive regional traditions.

European artists transformed abstract concepts of nationhood into symbolic female figures during the 18th and 19th centuries. During the French Revolution, allegorical images such as Liberty with a red cap and broken chains and Justice depicted with scales emerged as vivid emblems of core ideals. In subsequent decades, France personified the nation as Marian with a tricolor flag and cockade, while Germany embraced Germania crowned with oak leaves, each evoking unity, freedom, and heroism. These visual symbols played a crucial role in fueling the rise of nationalism by giving abstract ideals a relatable and powerful face.