The Making of Nationalism in Europe(2)

🗺️ Political Scenario in the 18th Century

  • Germany, Italy, Switzerland → divided into kingdoms, duchies, cantons with their own rulers.
  • Eastern & Central Europe → ruled by authoritarian monarchs over diverse populations.
  • ❌ No shared national identity → difficult to unite politically.

🏰 Social Divisions

👑 Aristocracy

  • Hereditary nobility, small in number but powerful.
  • Owned estates in countryside + townhouses in cities.
  • Shared lifestyle and privileges across regions.

💼 Middle Class

  • Emerged after feudalism ended.
  • Included traders, merchants, businessmen, professionals.
  • Educated & liberal → supported national unity and end of aristocratic privileges.

🗽 Liberal Nationalism

📖 Meaning

  • From Latin liber = free.
  • Based on liberty, equality before law, and government by consent.
  • Popular after the French Revolution → representative government via parliament.

🏛 Social Sphere

  • Fought for individual freedom, abolition of bonded labour, and end of class bias.

⚖ Political Sphere

  • Favoured government by consent, equality, freedom.

💰 Economic Sphere

  • Promoted free markets & removal of government restrictions on trade and capital flow.

📏 Economic Barriers Before Unification

  • Uneven Measurements → e.g., elle = 5.7 cm in Frankfurt, 55.1 cm in Mainz, 53.5 cm in Freiburg.
  • Time-consuming calculations due to different weights & measures in each region.

🤝 Zollverein (1834) – German Customs Union

  • Initiated by Prussia, joined by other German states.
  • Abolished tariff barriers.
  • Reduced currencies from 30 → 2.
  • Aim → Economic unification of Germany.

🛡️ New Conservatism after 1815

  • After Napoleon’s defeat, European rulers favoured tradition, monarchy, church, social hierarchy.
  • Believed in gradual change rather than rapid reforms.

📜 Vienna Congress / Treaty of Vienna (1815)

  • Attended by Britain, Russia, Prussia, Austria.
  • Restored Bourbon monarchy in France.
  • Main aim → Undo Napoleon’s changes & restore old order.

🔹 Territorial Changes:

  1. Kingdom of Netherlands (included Belgium) created.
  2. Genoa added to Piedmont.
  3. Austria got control of North Italy.
  4. Russia got part of Poland.
  5. Prussia got part of Saxony.

🔥 The Revolutionaries (Post-1815)

  • Fear of repression → rise of secret societies.
  • Fought against monarchy, for liberty, freedom, and nation-states.

👤 Giuseppe Mazzini (Italy)

  • Founded Young Italy 🇮🇹 (Marseilles).
  • Founded Young Europe 🌍 (Berne) – members from Poland, France, Italy, German states.
  • Believed:
    • Nations are God’s will.
    • Power should be with people, not monarchs/aristocracy.