Nationalism in Europe Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards about Nationalism in Europe

Absolutist

Literally, a government or system of rule that has no restraints on the power exercised. In history, the term refers to a form of monarchical government that was centralised, militarised and repressive

Utopian

A vision of a society that is so ideal that it is unlikely to actually exist

Plebiscite

A direct vote by which all the people of a region are asked to accept or reject a proposal

French Revolutionaries Ideas

The idea of la patrie (the fatherland) and le citoyen (the citizen) emphasised the notion of a united community enjoying equal rights under a constitution.

Napoleonic Code

The Civil Code of 1804 – usually known as the Napoleonic Code – did away with all privileges based on birth, established equality before the law and secured the right to property.

Conservatism

A political philosophy that stressed the importance of tradition, established institutions and customs, and preferred gradual development to quick change

Suffrage

The right to vote

Revolutionaries After 1815

Secret societies sprang up in many European states to train revolutionaries and spread their ideas.

July Revolution 1830

The Bourbon kings who had been restored to power during the conservative reaction after 1815, were now overthrown by liberal revolutionaries who installed a constitutional monarchy with Louis Philippe at its head.

Role of Culture

Culture played an important role in creating the idea of the nation: art and poetry, stories and music helped express and shape nationalist feelings

Grimm Brothers Impact

Collecting and recording folk songs, folk poetry and folk dances was essential to the project of nation-building.

Economic Hardship in 1830s

The 1830s were years of great economic hardship in Europe. The first half of the nineteenth century saw an enormous increase in population all over Europe.

Revolution of the Liberals

Parallel to the revolts of the poor, unemployed and starving peasants and workers in many European countries in the year 1848, a revolution led by the educated middle classes was under way.

Feminist

Awareness of women’s rights and interests based on the belief of the social, economic and political equality of the genders

Ideology

System of ideas reflecting a particular social and political vision

Nationalist Sentiments After 1848

Nationalist sentiments were often mobilised by conservatives for promoting state power and achieving political domination over Europe.

Cavour Role

Chief Minister Cavour who led the movement to unify the regions of Italy was neither a revolutionary nor a democrat.

British Nation-State

The English parliament, which had seized power from the monarchy in 1688 at the end of a protracted conflict, was the instrument through which a nation-state, with England at its centre, came to be forged.

Ethnic

Relates to a common racial, tribal, or cultural origin or background that a community identifies with or claims

Allegory

When an abstract idea (for instance, greed, envy, freedom, liberty) is expressed through a person or a thing. An allegorical story has two meanings, one literal and one symbolic

Nationalism and Imperialism

Nationalism, aligned with imperialism, led Europe to disaster in 1914.