The Rise of Nationalism in Europe Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards detailing the key political, economic, and social terms related to the development of nationalism in Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Centralised administrative system

An administrative structure put in place after the French Revolution that formulated uniform laws for all citizens within its territory.

Despotism

Absolute power, especially in a cruel and oppressive way; the French nation aimed to liberate the people of Europe from this state.

Napoleonic Code

Also known as the Civil Code of 1804, it established equality before the law, abolished privileges based on birth, and granted the right to property.

Liberalism (Political)

A political ideology that stood for freedom for the individual, equality of all before the law, and the concept of government by consent through a parliament.

Liberalism (Economic)

An economic ideology favoring the freedom of markets and the abolition of state-imposed restrictions on the movement of goods and capital.

Suffrage

The right to vote in political elections, which in revolutionary France was initially granted exclusively to property-owning men.

Conservatism

A political philosophy that stressed the importance of tradition and established institutions like the monarchy and Church, preferring gradual development to quick change.

Censorship

Laws imposed by conservative regimes in 1815 to control ideas of liberty and freedom expressed in newspapers, books, plays, and songs.

Young Italy

A secret society formed by Giuseppe Mazzini with the goal of unifying Italy into a single unified republic.

Zollverein

A customs union formed in 1834 at the initiative of Prussia that abolished tariff barriers and reduced the number of currencies from over thirty to two.

Romanticism

A cultural movement that sought to develop a particular form of nationalist sentiment through emotions, intuition, and shared collective heritage.

Allegory

The personification of a country or abstract idea, often represented through female figures in the 18th and 19th centuries to give the nation a concrete form.

Blood and Iron

The policy followed by Otto von Bismarck to achieve the unification of Germany with the help of the Prussian army and bureaucracy.

The Balkans

A geographically and ethnically diverse region under the control of the Ottoman Empire that became a source of intense nationalist tension and conflict leading to World War I.

La patrie

A French term meaning 'the fatherland,' used by revolutionaries to emphasize a sense of collective identity among the French people.

Le citoyen

A French term meaning 'the citizen,' highlighting the idea of a community enjoying equal rights under a constitution.

Treaty of Vienna (1815)

An agreement hosted by Duke Metternich that sought to restore the Bourbon dynasty and set up states on the boundaries of France to prevent future expansion.

Act of Union (1707)

An agreement between England and Scotland that resulted in the formation of the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain' and the imposition of English influence over Scotland.

Silesian weavers' uprising

An 1845 revolt by weavers against contractors who supplied raw materials but paid low wages, leading to the plundering of the contractors' mansions.

Habsburg Empire

A multi-ethnic patchwork empire ruling over Austria-Hungary, including the Alpine regions, Bohemia, Lombardy, and Venetia.

Duke Metternich

The Austrian Chancellor who hosted the Vienna Congress and famously remarked, "When France sneezes, the rest of Europe catches cold."

Jacobin clubs

Political clubs set up by students and members of the educated middle classes across Europe to prepare the way for French revolutionary armies.

Karol Kurpinski

A Polish composer who celebrated the national struggle through operas and music, transforming folk dances like the polonaise into nationalist symbols.

Junkers

The large landowners of Prussia who supported the military and monarchy in repressing liberal initiatives for German nation-building.