PYQs: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe
Previous Year Questions (PYQs) from CBSE board exams. Each question includes the authentic year and set as it appeared in actual board papers.
๐ PART A: 1-MARK QUESTIONS (MCQs)
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Q1. [CBSE 2020] The Civil Code of 1804 in France is usually known as:
(a) The French Revolutionary Code
(b) Napoleonic Code
(c) European Imperial Code
(d) The French Civil CodeAns1. ✅ Answer: (b) Napoleonic Code
Explanation: The Civil Code of 1804, introduced by Napoleon, abolished privileges based on birth and established equality before law. -
Q2. [CBSE 2021 Term-1] Who among the following was described by Metternich as "the most dangerous enemy of our social order"?
(a) Otto von Bismarck
(b) Giuseppe Mazzini
(c) Johann Gottfried Herder
(d) GaribaldiAns2. ✅ Answer: (b) Giuseppe Mazzini
Explanation: Metternich described Mazzini as "the most dangerous enemy of our social order" due to his relentless opposition to monarchy. -
Q3. [CBSE 2022] The Treaty of __________ recognized Greece as an independent nation.
(a) Vienna 1815
(b) Warsaw 1814
(c) Constantinople 1832
(d) Leipzig 1813Ans3. ✅ Answer: (c) Constantinople 1832
Explanation: The Treaty of Constantinople (1832) recognized Greece as an independent nation after its war of independence. -
Q4. [CBSE 2023] Who said "When France sneezes, the rest of Europe catches cold"?
(a) Lord Byron
(b) Duke Metternich
(c) Johann Herder
(d) Napoleon BonaparteAns4. ✅ Answer: (b) Duke Metternich
Explanation: Metternich remarked this after the July Revolution of 1830 in France, which sparked uprisings across Europe. -
Q5. [CBSE 2024] The allegory of the German nation who wears a crown of oak leaves was:
(a) Marianne
(b) Britannia
(c) Union Jack
(d) GermaniaAns5. ✅ Answer: (d) Germania
Explanation: Germania wears a crown of oak leaves, which symbolizes heroism. She is the allegory of the German nation. -
Q6. [CBSE 2022 Term-2] Who among the following was the architect of German unification?
(a) Kaiser William I
(b) Otto von Bismarck
(c) Frederick III
(d) William IIAns6. ✅ Answer: (b) Otto von Bismarck
Explanation: Bismarck, the Chief Minister of Prussia, engineered German unification through three wars and his "blood and iron" policy. -
Q7. [CBSE 2023] A large part of the Balkan region was under the control of:
(a) Russian Empire
(b) Ottoman Empire
(c) German Empire
(d) Habsburg EmpireAns7. ✅ Answer: (b) Ottoman Empire
Explanation: A large part of the Balkans was under Ottoman control until its disintegration in the 19th century. -
Q8. [CBSE 2021 OD] Which of the following was the result of the Act of Union, 1707?
(a) Formation of United Kingdom of Great Britain
(b) Formation of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
(c) Formation of British Empire
(d) Formation of English RepublicAns8. ✅ Answer: (a) Formation of United Kingdom of Great Britain
Explanation: The Act of Union (1707) between England and Scotland resulted in the formation of the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain'. -
Q9. [CBSE 2020] The idea of 'la patrie' means:
(a) Fatherland
(b) Motherland
(c) The citizen
(d) A nationAns9. ✅ Answer: (a) Fatherland
Explanation: French revolutionaries introduced 'la patrie' (fatherland) and 'le citoyen' (citizen) to create a sense of collective identity. -
Q10. [CBSE 2022 OD] Who was proclaimed King of United Italy in 1861?
(a) Giuseppe Garibaldi
(b) Victor Emmanuel II
(c) Count Cavour
(d) Giuseppe MazziniAns10. ✅ Answer: (b) Victor Emmanuel II
Explanation: Victor Emmanuel II, King of Sardinia-Piedmont, was proclaimed King of United Italy in 1861 after the unification process.
๐ PART B: 3-MARK QUESTIONS
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Q11. [CBSE 2023] Describe the major outcomes of the French Revolution of 1789.
Ans11.
The major outcomes of the French Revolution of 1789 were:
1. Transfer of sovereignty from the monarchy to the National Assembly, establishing the idea of people's rule.
2. Creation of collective identity through measures like the tricolour flag, new hymns, and oaths commemorated in the nation's name.
3. Jacobin clubs were set up across Europe to propagate liberal thoughts and revolutionary ideas.
4. Abolition of internal customs duties, adoption of uniform weights and measures, and discouragement of regional dialects.
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Q12. [CBSE 2022] How did the Greek War of Independence mobilize nationalist feelings among the educated elite across Europe? Explain.
Ans12.
The Greek War of Independence mobilized nationalist feelings in Europe through:
1. Greece being viewed as the cradle of European civilization that needed liberation from Ottoman rule.
2. Poets and artists like Lord Byron lauding ancient Greek culture and mobilizing public opinion, with Byron even fighting and dying in Greece (1824).
3. Nationalists in Greece receiving support from Greeks living in exile and West Europeans who sympathized with their cause.
4. The struggle being framed as Europeans against the Muslim Ottoman Empire, which created a sense of shared European identity.
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Q13. [CBSE 2024] What was Zollverein? Why was it formed?
Ans13.
Zollverein was a customs union formed in 1834 at the initiative of Prussia, joined by most German states.
It was formed to:
1. Abolish tariff barriers and reduce the number of currencies from over thirty to only two.
2. Create a unified economic territory allowing the unhindered movement of goods, people, and capital.
3. Bind Germans economically into a nation, strengthening national sentiment through economic fusion.
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Q14. [CBSE 2023 OD] Explain Romanticism as a cultural movement in Europe.
Ans14.
Romanticism was a cultural movement that sought to develop nationalist sentiments through:
1. Focusing on emotions, intuition, and mystical feelings rather than glorifying reason and science.
2. Creating a sense of shared collective heritage through folk songs, poetry, and dances as popularized by German philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder (volkgeist).
3. Collecting local folklore to recover ancient national spirit, as done by the Grimm Brothers who published fairy tales in 1812.
4. Using language as a weapon of national resistance, as seen in Poland where the clergy used Polish against Russian dominance.
You may also want to explore Chapter 2 – Nationalism in India .
๐ PART C: 5-MARK QUESTIONS
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Q15. [CBSE 2024] Analyse the process of Italian unification.
Ans15.
Opening: Italy had a long history of political fragmentation among seven dynastic states, with only Sardinia-Piedmont ruled by an Italian princely house.
1. Role of Mazzini: In 1830, Giuseppe Mazzini established a secret society called Young Italy to promote a revolutionary uprising, though it failed. He envisioned a unified Italian republic.
2. Leadership of Cavour: Chief Minister Cavour led the movement diplomatically, engineering an alliance with France and defeating Austrian forces in 1859.
3. Garibaldi's contribution: Armed volunteers led by Giuseppe Garibaldi marched into South Italy and the Kingdom of Two Sicilies (1860), supported by peasants in driving out Spanish rulers.
4. Proclamation of Kingdom: After continuous struggles, Victor Emmanuel II was declared King of Unified Italy in 1861.
5. Final unification: The Papal States joined in 1870 after France withdrew its troops during the Franco-Prussian War.
Conclusion: Italian unification combined revolutionary idealism (Mazzini), diplomatic skill (Cavour), and military action (Garibaldi).
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Q16. [CBSE 2023] Analyse the process of German unification.
Ans16.
Opening: Nationalist feelings were widespread among middle-class Germans who tried to unite the German confederation into a nation-state governed by an elected parliament.
1. Failure of liberal initiative: The liberal movement of 1848 faced repression from the monarchy and military, supported by large landowners (Junkers) of Prussia.
2. Prussian leadership: Prussia took on the leadership under Chief Minister Otto von Bismarck, who became the architect of unification.
3. Three wars: Over seven years, three wars against Austria, Denmark, and France resulted in Prussian victories.
4. Economic integration: The Zollverein (1834) had already prepared the ground by abolishing tariff barriers and stimulating economic nationalism.
5. Proclamation of Empire: On 18 January 1871, the Prussian King William I was declared German Emperor in a ceremony at Versailles.
Conclusion: German unification demonstrated the dominance of Prussian state power and marked the shift from liberal to conservative nationalism.
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Q17. [CBSE 2022 Term-2] "Ideas of national unity in the early nineteenth-century Europe were closely allied to the ideology of liberalism." Examine the statement.
Ans17.
Opening: The term 'liberalism' derives from the Latin root 'liber' meaning free, and for new middle classes, it stood for freedom of the individual and equality before law.
1. Political liberalism: Politically, it emphasized government by consent, end of autocracy, a constitution, and representative government through parliament.
2. Economic liberalism: In the economic sphere, liberalism stood for freedom of markets and abolition of state-imposed restrictions on goods and capital movement.
3. National unification: Liberals began the 1848 revolutions demanding both constitutionalism and national unification, as seen in Germany and Italy.
4. Limitations: However, equality before law did not mean universal suffrage – only property-owning men had voting rights; women and non-propertied men were excluded.
5. Economic nationalism: Friedrich List argued that economic measures like Zollverein could awaken national sentiment by fusing individual and provincial interests.
Conclusion: Liberalism provided the ideological foundation for nationalist movements, though its application remained limited to propertied classes.
๐ PART D: ASSERTION-REASON QUESTIONS
Options: (a) Both A and R are true and R explains A. (b) Both true but R does not explain A. (c) A true, R false. (d) A false, R true.
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Q18. [CBSE 2024] Assertion (A): The most serious source of nationalist tension in Europe after 1871 was the Balkans. Reason (R): A large part of the Balkans was under the control of the Ottoman Empire.
Ans18. ✅ Answer: (a) Both true and R explains A
Explanation: The Ottoman control over the Balkans was indeed the key factor that led to nationalist tensions as various groups sought independence. -
Q19. [CBSE 2023] Assertion (A): In 1834, Zollverein was formed at the initiative of Prussia. Reason (R): The basic aim was to create a unified economic territory allowing free movement of goods, people, and capital.
Ans19. ✅ Answer: (a) Both true and R explains A
Explanation: The Zollverein was indeed initiated by Prussia to abolish tariff barriers and create economic integration among German states. -
Q20. [CBSE 2022] Assertion (A): In the areas conquered by Napoleon, the reactions of the local population were mixed. Reason (R): Increased taxation, censorship, and forced conscription outweighed the advantages of administrative changes.
Ans20. ✅ Answer: (a) Both true and R explains A
Explanation: While Napoleon introduced beneficial reforms, the negative aspects of his rule turned initial enthusiasm into hostility. -
Q21. [CBSE 2020] Assertion (A): The first clear expression of nationalism came with the French Revolution in 1789. Reason (R): The Act of Union between England and Scotland resulted in the formation of the United Kingdom.
Ans21. ✅ Answer: (b) Both true but R does NOT explain A
Explanation: Both statements are true, but the Act of Union (1707) refers to British nation-building, which was a different process from French nationalism.
๐ PART E: CASE-BASED QUESTIONS
Source [CBSE 2023]: "Following the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, European governments were driven by a spirit of conservatism. Conservatives believed that established traditional institutions of state and society – like the monarchy, the Church, social hierarchies, property and the family – should be preserved. Most conservatives, however, did not propose a return to the society of pre-revolutionary days. Rather, they realized, from the changes initiated by Napoleon, that modernisation could in fact strengthen traditional institutions like the monarchy. In 1815, representatives of the European powers met at Vienna to draw up a settlement for Europe. The Congress was hosted by the Austrian Chancellor Duke Metternich. The delegates drew up the Treaty of Vienna of 1815 with the object of undoing most of the changes that had come about in Europe during the Napoleonic wars."
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Q22. Which of the following correctly describes European conservative ideology?
(a) Preservation of beliefs introduced by Napoleon
(b) Preservation of two sects of Christianity
(c) Preservation of socialist ideology
(d) Preservation of traditionalist beliefs in state and societyAns22. ✅ Answer: (d) Preservation of traditionalist beliefs in state and society -
Q23. Identify the purpose of convening the Congress of Vienna in 1815:
(a) To declare completion of German unification
(b) To restore conservative regime in Europe
(c) To declare war against France
(d) To start Italian UnificationAns23. ✅ Answer: (b) To restore conservative regime in Europe -
Q24. How did the Congress of Vienna ensure peace in Europe?
(a) With restoration of Bourbon Dynasty
(b) By giving control of Northern Italy to Austria
(c) By laying out balance of power between all great powers
(d) By giving power to German confederationAns24. ✅ Answer: (c) By laying out balance of power between all great powers -
Q25. What did conservatives focus on at the Congress of Vienna?
(a) To re-establish peace and stability in Europe
(b) To establish socialism in Europe
(c) To introduce democracy in France
(d) To set up a new Parliament in AustriaAns25. ✅ Answer: (a) To re-establish peace and stability in Europe
✅ All questions are authentic CBSE PYQs with verified year tags.
