1. Define Absolutist.

Ans: An absolutist government or system is one where there are no legal or constitutional limitations on the ruler's power.

2. Define Utopian.

Ans: Utopian refers to an ideal or perfect society that is unlikely to exist in reality.

3. Who was Frederic Sorrieu?

Ans: Frederic Sorrieu was a French artist who visualized a world of democratic and social republics through his paintings in 1848.

4. What was the theme of Frederic Sorrieu’s first print?

Ans: His first print depicted people of different nations marching towards the Statue of Liberty, signifying the dream of a democratic and united world.

5. How was Liberty personified in paintings of the French Revolution?

Ans: Liberty was represented as a female figure holding a torch of enlightenment in one hand and the Charter of Rights of Man in the other.

6. What symbols were depicted in the foreground of Sorrieu’s painting?

Ans: The shattered remains of absolutist institutions were shown in the foreground, symbolizing the end of monarchy and oppression.

7. What are the features of a modern state?

Ans:

  • A centralized power exercising sovereign control.
  • A well-defined territory.

8. What are the features of a Nation-State?

Ans:

  • Sovereign control over a defined territory.
  • A common identity and sense of belonging among people.

9. Define Plebiscite.

Ans: A plebiscite is a direct vote in which the people of a region decide on an important proposal, such as accepting or rejecting a political change.

10. What was the main declaration of the French Revolution?

Ans: The revolution declared that the people would henceforth constitute the nation and shape its destiny.

11. What steps were taken to create a sense of collective identity in France?

Ans:

  • Adoption of the tricolor flag as a national symbol.
  • The Estates General was renamed the National Assembly.
  • New hymns were composed, and martyrs were commemorated.
  • A uniform system of weights and measures was adopted.
  • French became the common language of the nation.

12. What was the role of the Jacobin Clubs?

Ans: The Jacobin clubs were formed by students and the educated middle class to spread revolutionary ideas across Europe.

13. What changes did Napoleon introduce in Europe?

Ans:

  • Napoleonic Code of 1804: Abolished privileges based on birth, established equality before law, and secured the right to property.
  • Simplified administrative divisions.
  • Abolished feudal systems and freed peasants from serfdom.
  • Removed guild restrictions in towns.
  • Improved transport and communication.
  • Standardized weights, measurements, and currency.

14. Why did Europeans initially welcome Napoleon?

Ans: Because he introduced rational and efficient administrative reforms and abolished feudal privileges.

15. Why did European countries oppose Napoleon later?

Ans:

  • Heavy taxation.
  • Strict censorship.
  • Forced conscription into the French army.

16. What was the political condition of Germany, Italy, and Switzerland in the mid-18th century?

Ans: They were divided into separate kingdoms, duchies, and cantons, each ruled by an autonomous ruler.

17. Which empire ruled over Austria-Hungary?

Ans: The Habsburg Empire.

18. What were the binding elements in the Habsburg Empire?

Ans: Common allegiance to the emperor was the main unifying factor despite linguistic and cultural diversity.

19. What were the social classes that emerged due to industrialization?

Ans:

  • The working class.
  • The middle class (industrialists, businessmen, professionals).

20. What did liberalism stand for in the 19th century?

Ans:

  • Freedom of the individual and equality before the law.
  • Government by consent and representative democracy.
  • End of autocracy and clerical privileges.
  • Protection of private property.

21. What was Zollverein?

Ans: Zollverein was a customs union formed in 1834 at Prussia’s initiative to abolish tariff barriers and reduce multiple currencies from 32 to 2.

22. What was the Congress of Vienna (1815)?

Ans: It was a meeting of European powers to undo the changes brought by Napoleon and restore monarchies.

23. What were the political changes made at the Congress of Vienna?

Ans:

  • The Bourbon dynasty was restored in France.
  • France lost its annexed territories.
  • New states were created to contain France’s expansion.
  • Austria was given control over Northern Italy.
  • Prussia gained new territories on its western frontiers.

24. Who was Giuseppe Mazzini?

Ans:

  • He was an Italian revolutionary.
  • A member of the Carbonari secret society.
  • Founded Young Italy and Young Europe to promote nationalism.

25. What were the revolutions of 1830 and 1848?

Ans:

  • 1830: The Bourbon kings were overthrown in France, and a constitutional monarchy was established.
  • 1848: A republic was established in France, and revolutions occurred in various European nations for democratic rights.

26. What was the impact of the Greek War of Independence?

Ans:

  • Greece, under Ottoman rule, revolted in 1821.
  • Received support from European nations due to its cultural significance.
  • Treaty of Constantinople (1832) recognized Greece as an independent nation.

27. Who was Otto von Bismarck?

Ans: He was the Prussian leader who led the unification of Germany through three wars against Denmark, Austria, and France.

28. How was Italy unified?

Ans:

  • Led by King Victor Emmanuel II and his chief minister Cavour.
  • Sardinia-Piedmont defeated Austria in 1859.
  • Giuseppe Garibaldi led an army to unify the southern regions.
  • In 1861, Victor Emmanuel II became the King of United Italy.

29. What was the Act of Union (1707)?

Ans: It united England and Scotland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain, where English culture dominated.

30. What led to the Balkan crisis?

Ans:

  • The decline of the Ottoman Empire.
  • Rising nationalism in Balkan states.
  • Rivalries among European powers like Russia, Germany, and Britain for control over the region.

31. What was the role of Nationalism in World War I?

Ans:

  • Extreme nationalism fueled imperialism and militarism.
  • The Balkan crisis and territorial ambitions created tensions.
  • European rivalries eventually led to the outbreak of WWI in 1914.