Class 10 History Chapter 1 Questions and Answers, The Rise of Nationalism In Europe- Unit 5 and 6, Nationalism and Imperialism
Table of Contents
Overview
This post titled Class 10 History Chapter 1 Questions and Answers, The Rise of Nationalism In Europe- Unit 5 and 6, first discusses how European people visualised the personification of their nations. It later Discusses how nationalism grew in Europe in the last quarter of 19th century.
Visualising the Nation (Unit 5)
Q.1. Explain how did the female figure became an allegory of the nation in Europe in 18th-19th century ?
Or, Who were Marianne and Germania ? What was the importance of the way in which they were portrayed ?
Ans. During 18th – 19th century, artists tried to give the nations a face. This they did by personification of nation. Nations were thus portrayed as female figures.
These female figures didn’t represent a real women but they were used to give the abstract idea of nation, a concrete form. In this way the female figure became an allegory of the nation, during 18th-19th century in Europe.
During French revolution, artists used female allegory to portray ideas such as liberty, justice and the republic. The red cap or a broken chain of this female figure represented the attributes of liberty. Justice was also allegorically represented by a blind folded women carrying a pair of weighing scales.
Again, in 19th century in France, the female figure representing the nation was christened as Marianne, which signified the idea of People’s nation. The ideas of liberty and republic were portrayed by using – the red cap, the tricolor, the cockade. Marianne images were also marked on coins and stamps to remind people of their unity. Marianne status were also erected in public places.
Germania became the allegory of the German nation. In visual representations, Germania wears a crown of Oak leaves, which is symbol of Heroism.
Note :
| Attributes | Significance |
| Broken Chains | freedom |
| Breast plate with eagle | Strength |
| Crown of Oak leaves | Heroism |
| Sword | Readiness to fight |
| Olive branch around sword | willingness to make peace |
| Black, red and gold tricolour | Flag of the liberal nationalists in 1848 in Germany. |
| Rays of rising sun | Beginning of a new era. |
Nationalism and Imperialism (Unit 6)
Q.2. What is Imperialism ?
Ans. It is a political system in which a rich and powerful country controls other countries (colonies), which are not as rich and powerful.
Q.3. How did the nationalism grow in Europe during the last quarter of 19th century ?
Ans. By the last quarter of 19th century (1870s), nationalism no longer retained its idealistic liberal democratic sentiment. It had become a narrow creed with limited ends.
During this period, nationalist groups became increasingly intolerant of each other and ever ready to go to war.
The major European powers, in turn, manipulated the nationalist aspirations of the subject peoples in Europe to further their own imperialist aims.
Q.4. What do you mean by the term Balkans ? How it became the source of nationalist tension in Europe after 1871 ?
Or, Q. Nationalism aligned with imperialism led Europe to disaster in 1914. Explain.
Ans. The 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 broadly known as Slavs.
The spread of the ideas of romantic nationalism in the Balkans together with the disintegration of the Ottoman empire made this region very explosive.
One by one, the European subject nationalities of Ottoman Empire in the Balkans region broke away from its control and declared independence.
As the different Slavic nationalities of Balkan region, struggled to define their identity and independence, the Balkan area became an area of intense conflict. The region became the source of nationalist tension in Europe after1871 because of jealousy among Balkan states themselves to gain more territory at the expense of others.
Matters were further complicated when intense rivalry grew among the European powers (Russia, Germany, England, Austro – Hungary ) for extending their control over the Balkans.
Intense rivalry among the European powers over trade and colonies in the Balkans as well as rivalry for naval and military might in this region led to a series of wars in this region which finally took the shape of First World War.
Q.5. Discuss the role and nature of anti imperial movements in 20th century.
Ans. Many countries in the world which had been colonised by the European powers in the 19th century began to oppose the imperial domination.
The anti- imperial movements that developed everywhere were nationalist in the sense that they all struggled to form independent nation- states. They were inspired by a sense of “collective national unity”, forged in confrontation with imperialism.
European ideas of nationalism were nowhere replicated and people everywhere developed their own specific variety of nationalism. However, the idea that societies should be organised into nation-states, came to be accepted as natural and universal.
Q.6. What were the chief elements of modern nationalism which emerged in Europe during 19th century.
Or, Q. In what ways new national identity were developed in Europe?
Ans. Modern nationalism in Europe came to be associated with the formation of nation – states.
It also meant a change in people’s understanding of who they were, and what defined their identity and sense of belonging.
New symbols and coins, new songs and ideas forged new links and redefined the boundaries of communities. In this way, the making of new national identity took place.
