Chapter 1: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe

Important questions — the ones the board asked most (20)

1. Q1Long answer5 marksAsked: 2026

   (a) Why is the French Revolution of 1789 considered the first clear expression of nationalism ? Explain with examples. OR (b) How did nationalism, aligned with imperialism, lead Europe to disaster in 1914 ? Explain with examples.

   

   Medha Ma’am

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   Hear it from Medha Ma’am · 105 s

   Model answer · Nationalism and imperialism, 1914

   1. 1.Nationalism, aligned with imperialism, led Europe to disaster in 1914. The European powers had intense rivalry over trade, colonies, and naval and military might. For example, Russia, Germany, England and Austro-Hungary each tried to extend its own control over the Balkans. This led to a series of wars and finally to the First World War. Meanwhile, many countries in the world which had been colonised by the European powers in the nineteenth century began to oppose imperial domination.1 mark
   2. 2.The anti-imperial movements that developed everywhere in these colonised countries were nationalist. Nationalism was no longer only a European idea. It became a force used against the European empires themselves.1 mark
   3. 3.These movements were nationalist because they all struggled to form independent nation-states of their own, free from the rule of the colonial powers.1 mark
   4. 4.They were inspired by a sense of collective national unity. This unity was forged in confrontation with imperialism, as people came together to resist foreign domination.1 mark
   5. 5.However, European ideas of nationalism were nowhere replicated, for people everywhere developed their own specific variety of nationalism. Still, the idea that societies should be organised into 'nation-states' came to be accepted as natural and universal.1 mark

   • Write that the colonised countries "began to oppose imperial domination" and that their anti-imperial movements "were nationalist".
   • Write that they "struggled to form independent nation-states" and were "inspired by a sense of collective national unity".
   • End with the point that people everywhere "developed their own specific variety of nationalism", so European ideas were nowhere replicated.

   Marks split as in the board’s published marking scheme

2. Q2Long answer5 marksAsked: 2026

   (a) Examine the nationalist tensions emerged in the Balkan region by the end of nineteenth century. OR (b) Examine the role of Giuseppe Mazzini in the unification of Italy during the nineteenth century.

   

   Medha Ma’am

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   Hear it from Medha Ma’am · 95 s

   Model answer · Giuseppe Mazzini, Italian unification

   1. 1.Giuseppe Mazzini was an Italian revolutionary who played a leading role in the idea of a united Italy. He was born in Genoa in 1805 and became a member of the secret society of the Carbonari. In 1831, as a young man of 26, he was sent into exile for attempting a revolution in Liguria.1 mark
   2. 2.During the 1830s, Mazzini sought to put together a coherent programme for a unitary Italian republic. To spread these ideas, he founded underground societies: first Young Italy in Marseilles, and then Young Europe in Berne.1 mark
   3. 3.Mazzini believed that God had intended nations to be the natural units of mankind. So, he said, Italy could not continue to be a patchwork of small states and kingdoms.1 mark
   4. 4.Italy had to be forged into a single unified republic within a wider alliance of nations. His relentless opposition to monarchy and his vision of democratic republics frightened the conservatives, and Metternich called him 'the most dangerous enemy of our social order'.1 mark
   5. 5.He argued that the unification of Italy alone could be the basis of Italian liberty. Following his model, secret societies were set up in Germany, France, Switzerland and Poland.1 mark

   • Write the early facts together: "born in Genoa in 1805", member of "the secret society of the Carbonari", exiled "for attempting a revolution in Liguria".
   • Write that Mazzini wanted "a coherent programme for a unitary Italian republic" during the 1830s.
   • Write the phrase "a single unified republic within a wider alliance of nations", and state that unification alone "could be the basis of Italian liberty".

   Marks split as in the board’s published marking scheme

3. Q3Long answer5 marksAsked: 2026

   (a) Explain the process of the formation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain. OR (b) Explain the process of German Unification during the nineteenth century.

   

   Medha Ma’am

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   Hear it from Medha Ma’am · 120 s

   Model answer · formation of United Kingdom

   1. 1.(a) Before the eighteenth century there was no British nation: the English, Welsh, Scots and Irish each had their own culture and political traditions. OR (b) The German states were divided; in 1848 middle-class liberals tried to unite them through the Frankfurt Parliament, but the monarchy, the army and the Junkers crushed it.1 mark
   2. 2.England grew in wealth and power, and its Parliament, which seized power from the monarchy in 1688, became the instrument for forging the nation-state. OR Prussia then led unification, with its chief minister Otto von Bismarck as the architect.1 mark
   3. 3.The Act of Union (1707) joined England and Scotland as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', dominated by England; the Scottish Highlanders' Gaelic language and dress were forbidden. OR Bismarck carried it out with the help of the Prussian army and bureaucracy.1 mark
   4. 4.Ireland was divided between Catholics and Protestants; after Wolfe Tone's failed revolt of 1798, Ireland was forcibly incorporated into the United Kingdom in 1801. OR Prussia won three wars over seven years — against Austria, Denmark and France.1 mark
   5. 5.A new British nation was forged by spreading English culture through the Union Jack, the English language and the anthem 'God Save Our Noble King'. OR In January 1871 King William I of Prussia was proclaimed German Emperor at Versailles.1 mark

   Marks split from a structure derived from past papers (checked twice); not CBSE’s official scheme

4. Q4Long answer5 marksAsked: 2025

   30. (a) How did the French Revolution spread the spirit of nationalism in Europe ? Explain with suitable arguments. OR (b) How did the Greek freedom struggle arouse nationalist sentiments in Europe ? Explain with suitable arguments.

   How the model answer begins

   1. (a) The French Revolution (1789) transferred sovereignty from the monarch to the people and spread the ideas of la patrie and le citoyen. OR (b) Greece had been part of the Ottoman Empire since the fifteenth century;…

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5. Q5Long answer5 marksAsked: 2025

   (a) "The political and constitutional changes that came in the wake of the French Revolution led to the transfer of sovereignty from monarchy to a body of French Citizens." Explain the statement. OR (b) "During 19th century, in the economic sphere, liberalisation stood for the freedom of markets and the abolition of state-imposed restrictions on the movement of goods and capital". Explain the statement.

   How the model answer begins

   1. The statement means that in the nineteenth century, liberalism in the economic sphere stood for the freedom of markets and the abolition of state-imposed restrictions on the movement of goods and capital. This was a…

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6. Q6Long answer5 marksAsked: 2024

   (A) How did the ideology of 'liberalism' affect the Europe in early nineteenth century ? Explain. OR (B) Explain the process of formation of 'United Kingdom of Great Britain'.

7. Q7Long answer5 marksAsked: 2026

   (a) Examine the social, political and economic aspects of liberalism in the early nineteenth century Europe. OR (b) Examine the extent to which conservatism shaped European politics following Napoleon's defeat in 1815.

   How the model answer begins

   1. (a) Socially, liberalism stood for freedom of the individual and equality of all before the law, and the inviolability of private property. OR (b) Conservatives wanted to preserve traditional institutions — monarchy,…

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8. Q8Long answer5 marksAsked: 2026

   (A) "The formation of the British Nation-State was different from the rest of Europe." Justify the statement with suitable arguments. OR (B) "Ideas of national unity in the early nineteenth century Europe were closely allied to the ideology of liberalism." Justify the statement with suitable arguments.

   How the model answer begins

   1. (A) Britain's nation-state was not the result of a sudden revolution but of a long-drawn-out process. OR (B) Liberalism stood for freedom of the individual and equality of all before the law.

   The full answer from Medha Ma’am →
9. Q9Long answer5 marksAsked: 2026

   (A) “Culture played an important role in creating the idea of the nation.” Examine the statement in the context of eighteenth century Europe. OR (B) “Giuseppe Mazzini played a major role in the unification of Italy.” Examine the statement.

   How the model answer begins

   1. (A) Romanticism, a cultural movement, built nationalist feeling through art, poetry, stories and music, stressing a shared heritage and common past. OR (B) Giuseppe Mazzini, born in Genoa in 1807, founded the secret…

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10. Q10Long answer5 marksAsked: 2026

    (A) “Otto Von Bismarck was the architect of the unification of Germany.” Examine the statement. OR (B) “The 1830’s were years of great economic hardship in Europe.” Examine the statement.

    How the model answer begins

    1. Otto von Bismarck was the chief minister of Prussia who led the process of German unification. After 1848, the liberal initiative of middle-class Germans to unite the different regions of the German confederation into a…

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11. Q11Long answer5 marksAsked: 2026

    (a) Describe the process of unification of Germany. OR (b) Describe the process of unification of Italy.

    How the model answer begins

    1. (a) Germany was divided into many small states; German nationalism grew, and in 1848 middle-class liberals tried to unite it through the Frankfurt Parliament, but the monarchy, the army and the Junkers crushed the…

    The full answer from Medha Ma’am →
12. Q12Long answer5 marksAsked: 2026

    (a) Describe the role of Balkans in the outbreak of World War - I. OR (b) Describe the role of European artists in promoting nationalism during nineteenth century.

    How the model answer begins

    1. Answer to option (b): In nineteenth-century Europe, artists promoted nationalism through culture, not through wars or territorial expansion. They played an important role in creating the idea of the nation through art…

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13. Q13Long answer5 marksAsked: 2026

    (a) Describe the various measures that French revolutionaries introduced to create a sense of collective identity among the French people. OR (b) Describe the role of Giuseppe Mazzini in the Italian unification.

    How the model answer begins

    1. (a) The revolutionaries spread the ideas of la patrie (the fatherland) and le citoyen (the citizen), with liberty, equality and fraternity as their ideals. OR (b) Giuseppe Mazzini, born in Genoa in 1807, founded the…

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14. Q14Long answer5 marksAsked: 2025

    30. (a) Analyse the significance of the 'Napoleonic Code' in making the administrative system rational and efficient. OR (b) How was liberalism allied to national unity in Europe in the early decades of the 19th century ? Analyse.

    How the model answer begins

    1. The Civil Code of 1804, usually known as the Napoleonic Code, made the administrative system more rational and efficient because Napoleon built revolutionary principles into it. First, it did away with all privileges…

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15. Q15Long answer5 marksAsked: 2025

    (a) Analyse the role of Giuseppe Mazzini in the unification of Italy. OR (b) "The 1830s were considered the beginning of great difficulties in Europe." Analyse the statement.

    How the model answer begins

    1. (a) Mazzini, born in Genoa in 1807, joined the secret society of the Carbonari; at 24 he was exiled in 1831 for attempting a revolution in Liguria. OR (b) Europe's population rose sharply in the 1830s; there were more…

    The full answer from Medha Ma’am →
16. Q16Long answer5 marksAsked: 2025

    (a) "Culture played an important role in creating the idea of the nation in 19th century Europe." Evaluate the statement in the context of romanticism. OR (b) "The most serious source of nationalist tension in Europe after 1871 was the area called the Balkans." Evaluate the statement in context of Slavic Movement.

    How the model answer begins

    1. The statement is correct. In nineteenth-century Europe, nationalism did not come about only through wars and territorial expansion. Culture played an important role in creating the idea of the nation: art and poetry,…

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17. Q17Long answer5 marksAsked: 2025

    (a) How did tension in the Balkan region lead to the First World War ? Explain. OR (b) How was the ‘British Nation’ created ? Explain.

18. Q18Long answer5 marksAsked: 2025

    30. (a) How did the decade of the 1830s bring great difficulties to Europe ? Explain. OR (b) How did Romanticism contribute to the development of nationalism in Europe in the early 19th century ? Explain.

    How the model answer begins

    1. (a) Europe's population rose enormously in the first half of the nineteenth century, so job-seekers far outnumbered jobs. OR (b) Romanticism, a cultural movement, criticised the glorification of reason and science and…

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19. Q19Long answer5 marksAsked: 2025

    (a) How did the tension in the Balkans region in 1871 become the major cause of the First World War ? Explain. OR (b) Explain the programme for a unified Italian republic put forward by the Giuseppe Mazzini in the decade of 1830.

    How the model answer begins

    1. (a) The Balkans was a region of geographical and ethnic variation — modern Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro — much of it under the Ottoman…

    The full answer from Medha Ma’am →
20. Q20Long answer5 marksAsked: 2024

    (a) "The French Revolution created a sense of collective identity amongst the French people." Explain the statement with suitable arguments. OR (b) "The Greek war of independence mobilised nationalist feelings among the educated elite across Europe." Explain the statement with suitable arguments.

    How the model answer begins

    1. (a) The revolutionaries gave shape to the ideas of la patrie (the fatherland) and le citoyen (the citizen), and set up a centralised administrative system. OR (b) Greece, an ancient civilisation, had come under the…

    The full answer from Medha Ma’am →

24 more questions of this chapter, each with its model answer, in the AskMedha app.

Objective questions with the board’s key (10)

1. 1. CBSE 2026

   Two statements labelled as Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Read both the statements carefully and choose the correct option : Assertion (A) : Giuseppe Mazzini was a revolutionary from Italy. Reason (R) : He founded underground organisations.

   • (A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A). ✓
   • (B) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A).
   • (C) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
   • (D) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

   Answer: (A)

2. 2. CBSE 2026

   Whom does this picture represent ? Choose the correct option. Note: The following question is for the Visually Impaired Candidates only, in lieu of Q. No. 5. Which of the following countries was granted autonomy by the Habsburg rulers in 1867 ? (A) England (B) Italy (C) Hungary (D) Russia

   • (A) Marianne
   • (B) Britannia
   • (C) Germania ✓
   • (D) Columbia

   Answer: (C)

3. 3. CBSE 2026

   Note : The following question is for the Visually Impaired Candidates only, in lieu of Q. No. 3. Which of the following countries was granted autonomy by the Habsburg rulers in 1867 ?

   • (A) England
   • (B) Italy
   • (C) Hungary ✓
   • (D) Russia

   Answer: (C)

4. 4. CBSE 2026

   Identify the place where the secret underground society named 'Young Europe' was founded by Mazzini.

   • (A) Berne ✓
   • (B) Brussels
   • (C) Marseilles
   • (D) Vienna

   Answer: (A)

5. 5. CBSE 2026

   Identify this image of the allegorical figure of a European nation during the nineteenth century from the following options : Note : The following question is for the Visually Impaired Candidates only in lieu of question no. 3 : Who amongst the following gave the Civil Code of 1804 in France ? (A) Alexender Charlemont (B) Maxmilan Lafayette (C) Ferdinand Archduke (D) Napoleon Bonaparte

   • (A) Britannia
   • (B) Marianna
   • (C) Helvetia
   • (D) Germania ✓

   Answer: (D)

6. 6. CBSE 2026

   Identify the allegorical figure given for a European nation during the nineteenth century from the following options: Note: The following question is for Visually Impaired candidates only in lieu of Question No. 2. Who among the following gave the Civil Code of 1804 in France? (A) Alexander Charlemagne (B) Maximilian Lafate (C) Ferdinand Archduke (D) Napoleon Bonaparte

   • (A) Britannia
   • (B) Marianne
   • (C) Helvetia
   • (D) Germania ✓

   Answer: (D)

7. 7. CBSE 2025

   Arrange the following events in chronological order and choose the correct option : I. Defeat of Napoleon in the battle of Leipzig II. Beginning of struggle for Greek independence III. Formation of customs union Zollverein IV. Signing of Treaty of Vienna

   • (A) I, II, III, IV
   • (B) I, II, IV, III ✓
   • (C) II, I, III, IV
   • (D) II, I, IV, III

   Answer: (B)

8. 8. CBSE 2025

   'Napoleon Code' related facts are given below. Read them carefully and select the correct option : I. Doing away with all privileges based on birth. II. Established equality before the law. III. Secured the right to property. IV. Imposed feudal dues on peasants. Options :

   • (A) Only I, II and III are correct. ✓
   • (B) Only II, III and IV are correct.
   • (C) Only I, II and IV are correct.
   • (D) Only I, III and IV are correct.

   Answer: (A)

9. 9. CBSE 2025

   Which one of the following regions became a part of unified Italy in 1866?

   • (A) Sardinia-Piedmont
   • (B) Venetia ✓
   • (C) Sicily
   • (D) Papal State

   Answer: (B)

10. 10. CBSE 2025

    In reference to the Germania allegory the “olive branch around the sword” symbolizes which one of the following ?

    • (A) Being freed
    • (B) Heroism and strength
    • (C) Willingness to make peace ✓
    • (D) Beginning of a new era

    Answer: (C)

Questions parents and students ask

How many marks does "The Rise of Nationalism in Europe" carry in CBSE Class 10 Social Science?

In the CBSE papers of 2023–2026, this chapter carried about 5 marks and about 2 questions a year; by marks it ranks 3 in Social Science.

Which are the most important (VVI) questions of "The Rise of Nationalism in Europe"?

The 20 questions above are from the board’s real papers, each with the years it was asked; the most-asked come first with their full model answers. All 44 written questions of this chapter, with answers, are in the AskMedha app.

Do the answers follow the board’s marking scheme?

Yes. CBSE publishes its marking schemes; every model answer here is written point by point to the marks the board’s own scheme gives, and checked by a second, independent model.