Revolution and Rise of Nation States

Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about Revolution and Rise of Nation States from Class 9 Social Science. In this chapter, we will learn about the rise of nation states and their development, the causes and effects of the American War of independence, the causes for the French Revolution, and the Unification of Italy and Germany. The emergence of the modern age is a sign of the downfall of National Monarchy in the 15th, 16th and 17th Century. There was no logical support for the establishment of these states. They varied from large empires to small city-states. The people living in these states were of different nationalities, spoke different languages and followed different cultures. After the decline of the feudal system, the political strength of the landlords also came down. As a result, many European kings reduced their dependence on these landlords and took all the power to their hands. Many kings believed in Divine Right Theory and were of the opinion that they were not answerable to citizens. In order to secure their own welfare, the middle class supported the kings and played a major role in the birth and growth of nationalism. [CHECKPOINT] A strong nationalistic view or patriotism had its own good and bad effects. These nations were responsible for ending the anarchy of the feudal period. They inspired people of similar culture to come together under the rule of one king. Conflict and competition started between nations. It paved the way for trade, control of colonies and wars in the American and Asian continents. Let us look at North America 13 British Colonies. They were: 1. New Hampshire, 2. New York, 3. Pennsylvania, 4. Massachusetts, 5. Rhode Island, 6. Connecticut, 7. New Jersey, 8. Delaware, 9. Maryland, 10. Virginia, 11. North Carolina, 12. South Carolina, and 13. Georgia. After the discovery of America, many European countries started establishing colonies there. The four major countries colonizing North America were France, Spain, Holland and England. Along the Atlantic coast of North America, 13 colonies were established by England. These were called the New English colonies. France and England competed with each other to establish the colonies in North America. The intense desire of the American colonies for independence led them to rise in rebellion against England. [CHECKPOINT] The Seven years war from 1756 to 63 was fought between France and England. The Naval Act was passed in 1760. The British colonies acquired monopoly of sea trade. The Molasses Act which came into existence in 1764 helped the American liquor manufacturers to transport molasses. The Quebec Act of 1774 led to dissatisfaction among the colonies. The Stamp Act was brought in to force in 1765. As a result, it was possible to impose taxes on tea, paper, glass etc. in 1767. The Boston Tea Party took place in 1773. In spite of protests, Britain sent a ship full of tea to Boston harbor. This enraged the colonies. A group of 50 people dressed like Red Indians entered the ship and threw about 340 cartons of tea into the sea. The reasons for the revolution in America were: The rise of nationalism among the people of the colonies, the desire for independence among the colonies, the effects of the 7 years war, the naval regulations, influence of writers like Thomas Paine, John Adams, Samuel Adams, John Edward Coke and Benjamin Franklin, the Quebec regulation, the Townshend taxes and the Boston tea party. [CHECKPOINT] To discuss the prevailing situation, representatives of the 13 British colonies of North America met in Philadelphia in 1774. They threatened to oppose with armed rebellion any move to cut short their independence. The king of Britain declared this act as a revolt and sent military troops to suppress the same. The colonies had no option but to fight the British with the local arms. In this manner, on 19 April 1775 at Lexington, when a troop of the colonies attacked the British, the American war of independence began. The Philadelphia Conference appointed George Washington as its commander. George Washington was a gardener in Virginia. He played a major role as a military officer in the 7 year war against France and gained popularity. He encouraged the illiterate and unorganized colonized army with courage and enthusiasm. He made them fight against the British army bravely. On 4 July 1776, the Philadelphia National Conference adopted the famous Declaration of Independence. This declaration mentioned that all the 13 British colonies have cut off their political relations with the motherland and have become free. [CHECKPOINT] The war between England and the colonies lasted for 5 years. Initially the colonies had to suffer setbacks. George Washington had to face a lot of problems. But in the battle of Saratoga, the British army lost. With the help of the French army, George Washington defeated the British army in battle of Yorktown. British commander, Lord Cornwallis surrendered with his army. In the year 1783, as per the Paris agreement, Britain accepted that the 13 colonies were independent. Since the declaration of independence was made on 4 July, it became a day of great significance to the Americans. Even now, July 4th is celebrated as Independence Day in America. In the year 1787, the representatives of all the 13 independent colonies met at Philadelphia and chose George Washington as the President of the United States of America. They created a constitution, which is the first written constitution in the world. The consequences of the American War of Independence were: The war acted as an inspiration for the French Revolution. Many of the French who fought assisting the colonial army became leaders of the French revolution. Many of the Spanish and Portuguese colonies in America got inspired to become free and hence, revolted against their motherland. The new nation called the United States of America was born. [CHECKPOINT] Now we move to the French Revolution. Putting an end to the dictatorial rule of their kings and establishing a socio-political system based on equality and democracy was the main purpose of French revolution. This tremendously affected the political revolts in various other nations of the world. The following were the reasons for the French revolution. Historians note that European History merged in one nation, one event and in a man. The nation is French, event is French revolution, a man is Napoleon. Social reasons: In the French society, inequality prevailed in all spheres. It was unbearable and inhuman. The pain of this inequality turned into a burning rage in the hearts of the citizens and led to the French revolution. Before the revolution, there were three classes in the French society. The first class consisted of the clergy, the second was that of aristocrats and the third consisted of the ordinary citizens. The first two classes enjoyed all the facilities and were few in number. Exempted from paying any taxes, they led a luxurious life. The third class was deprived of all facilities. Intellectuals, agriculturists, labourers and professionals were there in this class. Their income was less but taxes were more. [CHECKPOINT] Their life was in a bad state. These people did not command respect in society. They had no political rights and had to tolerate insults. They did not have either religious or political rights or freedom. These were the people who were the unhappiest of all in France. They were waiting for an opportunity to overthrow the old system. Economic reasons: France was an agriculture-dominated nation. In spite of advances in agricultural practices, the yield from land was very low. The farmers were the most affected. Famines were frequent. As a result, there used to be revolts and riots for food. Industries were under the control of trade unions. Due to internal strife and interference from authorities, the development of these unions was sluggish. Hence the industrial productivity was low. Political reasons: France was ruled by the Bourbon dynasty. Louis XVI became the king. He was an inexperienced king. He lived in the grand palace at Versailles with members of the royal family and courtiers. He led a life of luxury and wasteful expenditure. He was not bothered about the routine administrative work. He had a queen named Marie Antoinette who was the princess of Austria. She was squandering money for her personal indulgences and festivals. She had no concern for the problems of the people. She was interfering in the administration of the nation. [CHECKPOINT] People hated her since she was a foreigner and had no love for the French people. The king could not control her. Eventually the situation went beyond control and led to revolution. Influence of the French thinkers: Famous philosophers and intellectuals Montesquieu, Rousseau and Voltaire encouraged the rebels by their revolutionary writings. Montesquieu, in his book Spirit of Laws condemned the Divine Right of kings and declared support for a constitutional government. Rousseau in his work Social Contract observed, Man is independent at birth, but is found chained everywhere. Voltaire condemned the traditions of French society, monotheism and blind beliefs. He also questioned the Roman Catholic church. Effects of American War of Independence: The American war of independence influenced the French tremendously. Many of the French who fought against the British in America returned to their motherland. They encouraged the rebels by giving them all support and played a pivotal role in the revolution. Due to all these events, the French king had to call a session of States Generals, a legislators assembly that had not been called in the previous 175 years. [CHECKPOINT] The members of the third class declared themselves as the National Assembly. They invited the members of the other two classes to join them. On 14 July 1789, they attacked the state prison at Bastille and released all the prisoners, thereby putting an end to the dictatorial rule. Gradually the revolution spread to other parts of the country. The king had only a nominal presence. The National Assembly made all the rules and passed orders. On 27 August 1789, the Declaration of Human and Civilian Rights was adopted. The king's rule was replaced by a democratic government. This process assumed a violent form. A group called Jacobians who wanted harsh reforms came to power. The leader of this group Robespierre subjected all those supported the king to a machine called the guillotine which was invented for massacres. Consequences: The French revolution became the precursor for a series of important events. Feudalism vanished. The special privileges that the clergy and the aristocrats had were all cancelled. The lands of the rich were seized. The church came under the control of the state. A uniform system of administration came to be enforced throughout the country. People were assured liberty, equality and brotherhood. [CHECKPOINT] Next, we study the Unification Movements, starting with the Unification of Italy. Although Italy, the country which had seen the glory of the ancient Roman civilization, spoke the same language, it had disintegrated. Roman Catholic religion had spread throughout Italy. Though it was eligible to become one nation, such an integration was impossible. Italy had disintegrated into small states during the early part of 19th century. Of these, Lombardi, Vennies, Sicily, Naples which are both Sicilian states, the Pope states, Tuscany, Parma and Modena were important. Pidmont state included Sardinia, Pidmont and Genoa. Geographically, the Adriatic Sea borders the eastern side of the Italian peninsula. Between 1815 and 1848, there were a number of riots in various states of Italy. The main aim of all these riots and revolts was national freedom and national integration. Joseph Mazzini, Count Cavour and Garibaldi were the architects of Italy unification. Mazzini was a noted revolutionary thinker and writer. He provoked the youth of Italy by his writings in the book Italy, Austria, Papacy. He inspired people with feelings of national integration, freedom and rebellious thoughts and provoked them to revolt. He not only built an army called Young Italy but also had the aims of achieving national freedom and integration. [CHECKPOINT] Garibaldi was a soldier and fighter. He joined the Young Italy army and assumed leadership of the revolution. After that he pressed for democratic reforms. He constituted an army called Red Brigade and with the help of Sardinia, fought with Austria. In 1860, he fought against the twin states of Sicily using his Red Brigade. By conquering the same, he hastened the national integration. The Sardinian Prime Minister Count Cavour was an important person in the unification of Italy. He was a journalist and he began a newspaper Risorgimento meant for the rejuvenation of Italian literature. He had a strong influence on the minds of people and kings through his powerful writings. Count Cavour decided to drive out Austria from Italy and make Sardinia Italy biggest and most powerful state. As soon as he assumed power as the Prime Minister of Sardinia, he began to work towards achieving his ambition. He brought about many reforms and made Italy a very progressive state. Count Cavour made a secret pact with France. He provoked Austria to war, and along with France, defeated Austria and drove it away from Lombardi. He merged Sardinia and Lombardi with Italy. [CHECKPOINT] There were revolutions in Tuscany, Modena, Parma and northern Pope states, and they merged with Sardinia. Count Cavour secretly encouraged Garibaldi to invade Sicily. In 1861, Victor Emmanuel was declared king of Italy. Italy acquired Venetia from Austria. Now only Rome remained outside Italy. In 1870, when war broke out between France and Prussia, France had to withdraw its army from Rome. Grabbing the opportunity, Victor Emmanuel invaded Rome and occupied it. Rome became the capital of Italy. With this, Unification of Italy was completed. Now we move to the Unification of Germany. During the early part of 19th century, Germany was a cluster of independent states. Among them, the larger and more powerful states were Wertenberg, Bavaria, Baden, Heas. The rest of them were small. They used to frequently attack each other. These states were politically weak and economically backward. Disappointed with the prevailing situation, they were waiting for reforms. The French revolution kindled the nationalistic feelings of Germans. As a result, the people of these states started demanding national unity, social and economic reforms. Under the leadership of Austria, an association of the German states was formed. However, some of the kings of these states were trying their best to retain their independence as well as political and economic systems. [CHECKPOINT] The German patriots and nationalists began various movements for democratic institutions and the unification of Germany. But those movements were suppressed and the revolutionaries were made to flee the nation. Prussia played a major role in these activities and saw economic progress and industrialization. Bismarck: The architect of the Unification of Germany was Otto-Von-Bismarck, he was the chief minister of the king of Prussia, William I. Bismarck had begun his career as a government servant, member of the assembly, i.e., Diet, and as an ambassador in various nations, and had gained lot of popularity. He was aware of the German states association under the leadership of Austria, and knew about the activities and weaknesses of this organization. Having worked in Austria, France and Prussia as an ambassador, he had a fair knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses. He knew that German unification was possible only by Prussia and Bismarck desired to do so under the leadership of Prussia. To achieve this end, his aims were of two types: firstly, to drive out Austria from German states association. Secondly, instead of losing identity with Germany, convert Germany into Prussia. That meant inculcating the culture and traditions, and spread the administrative machinery and military power all over Germany. [CHECKPOINT] Bismarck was aware that to resolve the situation, only blood and steel philosophy would work. Blood and steel philosophy meant war tactics. Towards this end, he built a powerful army. His next aim was to drive out Austria from German states association. Bismarck desired to merge two small states of Sheltzweig and Holstrein which were under the control of Denmark. He achieved his aim by associating with Austria. Later, Bismarck made an agreement with Italy according to which, in the event of war with Austria, he would seek their support. The well-formed German armies defeated Austria in the year 1866 and North German States Association was formed. The Prussian king was made the head of this association. His heirs would continue to head the association. Even after driving Austria from the German soil, the unification of Germany was not complete. 16 German states in the south attached to France were still out of this association. Keeping Germany as a weak state was the aim of the emperor of France, Napoleon III. Bismarck realized that war was inevitable with France to achieve unification of Germany. Bismarck began war preparations. When Napoleon declared war on Prussia, southern German states defeated him. Due to this, he was able to merge the remaining states with the German states association. With this, the unification of Germany was complete the Prussian king, William I, was bestowed the title of German emperor. The provinces of Alcase and Lorraine were handed over France to Germany. [CHECKPOINT] Now let us solve the exercises from the chapter. Part I: Fill in the blanks with suitable words. 1. The 13 colonies established by England on the Atlantic coast was called New English colonies. 2. The representatives of the 13 colonies met in 1774 at Philadelphia. 3. The first President of United States of America was George Washington. 4. The writer of Spirit of Laws was Montesquieu. 5. The party Young Italy was formed by Joseph Mazzini. 6. The philosophy of blood and steel was advocated by Bismarck. Part II: Answer the following questions. 7. Mention the reasons for American War of Independence. The reasons were: The rise of nationalism among the people of the colonies, the desire for independence among the colonies, the effects of the 7 years war, the naval regulations, influence of writers like Thomas Paine, John Adams, Samuel Adams, John Edward Coke and Benjamin Franklin, the Quebec regulation, the Townshend taxes and the Boston tea party. 8. Explain the significance of the American war of independence. The war acted as an inspiration for the French Revolution. Many of the French who fought assisting the colonial army became leaders of the French revolution. Many of the Spanish and Portuguese colonies in America got inspired to become free and hence, revolted against their motherland. The new nation called the United States of America was born. [CHECKPOINT] 9. How were economic factors responsible for the French revolution? France was an agriculture-dominated nation. In spite of advances in agricultural practices, the yield from land was very low. The farmers were the most affected. Famines were frequent. As a result, there used to be revolts and riots for food. Industries were under the control of trade unions. Due to internal strife and interference from authorities, the development of these unions was sluggish. Hence the industrial productivity was low. 10. What was the role of Garibaldi in Italy unification? Garibaldi was a soldier and fighter who joined the Young Italy army and assumed leadership of the revolution. He pressed for democratic reforms. He constituted an army called Red Brigade and with the help of Sardinia, fought with Austria. In 1860, he fought against the twin states of Sicily using his Red Brigade. By conquering the same, he hastened the national integration. 11. Who was the architect of unification of Germany? Write a note on him. The architect was Otto-Von-Bismarck, chief minister of the king of Prussia, William I. He began his career as a government servant, member of the Diet, and as an ambassador. He knew the weaknesses of the German states association under Austria. He believed unification was possible only under Prussia. His aims were to drive out Austria from the association and convert Germany into Prussia by spreading its culture and military power. He advocated the blood and steel philosophy meaning war tactics, built a powerful army, allied with Italy, defeated Austria in 1866 forming the North German States Association, provoked France into war, defeated Napoleon III, merged the southern states, and completed unification with William I becoming German emperor. [CHECKPOINT] Part III: Activities. 1. Discuss in detail with your teacher about the philosophers of the French Revolution period. Students should discuss Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Voltaire. Montesquieu wrote Spirit of Laws, condemned Divine Right of kings, and supported constitutional government. Rousseau wrote Social Contract and observed that man is independent at birth but chained everywhere. Voltaire condemned French traditions, monotheism, blind beliefs, and questioned the Roman Catholic church. 2. Discuss in groups the factors responsible for Italy unification along with your teacher. Students should discuss the disintegration of Italy into small states, the riots between 1815 and 1848 for national freedom, and the roles of the three architects: Mazzini who inspired youth and formed Young Italy, Cavour who used diplomacy, reformed Sardinia, allied with France, and drove out Austria, and Garibaldi who led military campaigns with the Red Brigade to conquer Sicily and Naples. Part IV: Projects. 1. Collect the pictures of the thinkers during the French revolution and prepare an album. Students are instructed to gather portraits of Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Voltaire, arrange them chronologically or by influence, and add brief captions summarizing their key works and quotes. 2. Prepare a project showing the revolutionaries of Italy unification. Students should create a visual timeline or poster featuring Joseph Mazzini, Count Cavour, and Giuseppe Garibaldi. The project must include their photographs, their specific contributions, the armies they formed like Young Italy and Red Brigade, and the key dates of unification from 1815 to 1870. Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]