The Rise of Nationalism in Europe – Very Short Answer Type Questions
CBSE Class 10 – Social Science (History)
Book: India and the Contemporary World – II
Chapter 1: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe
The French Revolution and the Idea of the Nation | The Making of Nationalism in Europe | The Age of Revolutions: 1830–1848 | The Making of Germany and Italy | Visualizing the Nation | Nationalism and Imperialism
CBSE Board Examinations – Topic-wise Very Short Answer Questions with Answers
Strictly as per NCERT Syllabus
Note: These 50 Very Short Answer Type Questions with Answers are prepared strictly from
History – India and the Contemporary World – II, Chapter 1: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe.
They are ideal for quick revision and CBSE Class 10 board exam practice.
1. The French Revolution and the Idea of the Nation
Q1. In which year did the French Revolution begin?
Ans. The French Revolution began in the year 1789.
Q2. What did the French Revolutionaries proclaim as the basis of the French nation?
Ans. They proclaimed that the nation would be based on liberty, equality and fraternity.
Q3. Who were turned from “subjects” to “citizens” after the French Revolution?
Ans. The people of France were turned from subjects of the king into citizens of a nation.
Q4. Name the tricolour that replaced the royal flag in France.
Ans. The tricolour national flag of France replaced the royal standard.
Q5. Which national anthem was adopted during the French Revolution?
Ans. The song “La Marseillaise” was adopted as the national anthem of France.
Q6. Give one measure taken to create a sense of collective identity in France.
Ans. A uniform system of weights and measures was introduced to unify the French economy.
Q7. Who came to power in France after the initial years of the Revolution?
Ans. Napoleon Bonaparte came to power after the initial phase of the Revolution.
Q8. What legal code did Napoleon introduce to strengthen administrative unity?
Ans. Napoleon introduced the Napoleonic Civil Code (1804).
2. The Making of Nationalism in Europe
Q9. What kind of political system dominated Europe before the concept of nation-states?
Ans. Multi-national dynastic empires dominated Europe before nation-states.
Q10. Name the empire that ruled over a large part of Central Europe.
Ans. The Austrian (Habsburg) Empire ruled over much of Central Europe.
Q11. What is meant by a “nation-state”?
Ans. A nation-state is a state where citizens sharing a common identity are united under one government.
Q12. Who were called “liberals” in nineteenth-century Europe?
Ans. Liberals were middle-class people who believed in individual freedom, equality before law and constitutional rule.
Q13. What did liberal nationalists in Europe demand?
Ans. They demanded constitutional governments, civil liberties and national unification.
Q14. Which social groups were largely excluded from the political rights demanded by liberals?
Ans. Women and the poor were largely excluded from political rights.
Q15. What was the Zollverein?
Ans. The Zollverein was a customs union formed among German states under Prussia in 1834.
Q16. How did the Zollverein help in German unification?
Ans. It abolished internal customs duties and created a unified economic market, promoting a sense of unity.
Q17. Which country took the lead in forming the Zollverein?
Ans. Prussia took the lead in forming the Zollverein.
Q18. Name one liberal demand related to the economy.
Ans. Liberals demanded the removal of internal trade barriers to create a single national market.
3. The Age of Revolutions: 1830–1848
Q19. Which country witnessed a revolution that overthrew the Bourbon kings in 1830?
Ans. France witnessed the revolution of 1830 against the Bourbon kings.
Q20. Which country gained independence from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1830?
Ans. Belgium gained independence in 1830.
Q21. Why is 1848 known as the “year of revolutions”?
Ans. Because in 1848, widespread liberal and nationalist uprisings occurred across Europe.
Q22. What was the Frankfurt Parliament?
Ans. It was a national assembly of German liberals that met at Frankfurt to draft a constitution for a united Germany.
Q23. Where did the Frankfurt Parliament meet?
Ans. It met in the Church of St. Paul in Frankfurt.
Q24. To whom did the Frankfurt Parliament offer the crown of a unified Germany?
Ans. It offered the crown to the Prussian king, Friedrich Wilhelm IV.
Q25. Why did the Prussian king reject the crown offered by the Frankfurt Parliament?
Ans. He rejected it because it was offered by a popular assembly, not by other princes, and he did not want a constitutionally limited monarchy.
Q26. Name one way in which women participated in the 1848 revolutions.
Ans. Women formed political associations, took part in rallies and demanding voting rights.
Q27. Were women granted suffrage by the Frankfurt Parliament?
Ans. No, women were not granted the right to vote by the Frankfurt Parliament.
4. The Making of Germany and Italy
Q28. Which state led the process of German unification?
Ans. The state of Prussia led the process of German unification.
Q29. Who was the chief minister of Prussia who unified Germany?
Ans. Otto von Bismarck was the chief minister who unified Germany.
Q30. What policy did Bismarck follow to unify Germany?
Ans. He followed the policy of “blood and iron” (wars and diplomacy).
Q31. In which year was the German Empire proclaimed?
Ans. The German Empire was proclaimed in 1871.
Q32. Where was the German Emperor proclaimed in 1871?
Ans. He was proclaimed in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles.
Q33. Who became the first German Emperor (Kaiser)?
Ans. The Prussian king, William I (Wilhelm I), became the German Emperor.
Q34. Name the three leading personalities of Italian unification.
Ans. Giuseppe Mazzini, Count Camillo de Cavour and Giuseppe Garibaldi were the three main leaders.
Q35. Which Italian state took the lead in unifying Italy?
Ans. The kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia took the lead in unifying Italy.
Q36. Who is known as the “brain” of Italian unification?
Ans. Count Camillo de Cavour is known as the “brain” of Italian unification.
Q37. Who is called the “sword” of Italian unification?
Ans. Giuseppe Garibaldi is called the “sword” of Italian unification.
Q38. In which year was Italy unified, with Rome as its capital?
Ans. Italy was unified with Rome as its capital by 1871.
5. Visualizing the Nation
Q39. What is an allegory?
Ans. An allegory is a symbolic figure used to represent an abstract idea or nation.
Q40. What was the name of the female allegory used to represent France?
Ans. The female allegory representing France was called Marianne.
Q41. Name the female allegory that represented the German nation.
Ans. The German nation was represented by the allegory Germania.
Q42. What did the red cap worn by Marianne stand for?
Ans. The red cap stood for liberty and freedom from bondage.
Q43. What did the oak leaves around Germania’s crown symbolise?
Ans. The oak leaves symbolised heroism and strength.
Q44. Name any two other visual symbols used to express nationalism.
Ans. National flags and national anthems were important visual symbols of nationalism.
6. Nationalism and Imperialism
Q45. Which region of Europe is referred to as the Balkans?
Ans. The Balkans refers to the region including present-day Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and surrounding areas.
Q46. Which empire controlled much of the Balkans in the nineteenth century?
Ans. The Ottoman Empire controlled much of the Balkans.
Q47. Why did the Balkans become a region of intense conflict?
Ans. Because of competing nationalist aspirations of different ethnic groups and the rivalry of big powers.
Q48. Name any two great powers who were interested in the Balkans.
Ans. Russia and Austria-Hungary (also Germany, Britain) were interested in the Balkans.
Q49. How was nationalism linked with imperialism in Europe?
Ans. Strong nation-states used aggressive nationalism to expand and dominate weaker regions, leading to imperialism.
Q50. Which major event in 1914 is seen as the result of rising nationalism and rivalries in Europe?
Ans. The First World War (1914) was a result of rising militant nationalism and imperial rivalries in Europe.