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of a new ‘British nation’

9 How were Scotland’s distinct culture and political institutions systematically suppressed 3
by British?
10 By the last quarter of the nineteenth century nationalism no longer retained its idealistic 4
liberal-democratic sentiment of the first half of the century, but became a narrow creed
with limited ends. During this period nationalist groups became increasingly intolerant of
each other and ever ready to go to war. The major European powers, in turn,
manipulated the nationalist aspirations of the subject peoples in Europe to further their
own imperialist aims. The most serious source of nationalist tension in Europe after 1871
was the area called the Balkans. The Balkans was a region of geographical and ethnic
variation comprising modern-day Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, Macedonia,
Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro whose inhabitants were
broadly known as the Slavs. A large part of the Balkans was under the control of the
Ottoman Empire. The spread of the ideas of romantic nationalism in the Balkans
together with the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire made this region very explosive.
All through the nineteenth century the Ottoman Empire had sought to strengthen
itself through modernisation and internal reforms but with very little success. One by
one, its European subject nationalities broke away from its control and declared
independence. The Balkan peoples based their claims for independence or political rights
on nationality and used history to prove that they had once been independent but had
subsequently been subjugated by foreign powers. Hence the rebellious nationalities in
the Balkans thought of their struggles as attempts to win back their long-lost
independence.
As the different Slavic nationalities struggled to define their identity and independence,
the Balkan area became an area of intense conflict. The Balkan states were fiercely
jealous of each other and each hoped to gain more territory at the expense of the
others. Matters were further complicated because the Balkans also became the scene of
big power rivalry. During this period, there was intense rivalry among the European
powers over trade and colonies as well as naval and military might. These rivalries were
very evident in the way the Balkan problem unfolded. Each power – Russia, Germany,
England, Austro-Hungary – was keen on countering the hold of other powers over the
Balkans, and extending its own control over the area. This led to a series of wars in the
region and finally the First World War.

10.1 Identify one reason why nationalism became a source of conflict in the Balkans
after 1871.

10.2 Name any two European powers that were involved in the rivalry over the Balkans.

10.3 Explain how both internal nationalist tensions and external big power rivalries made
the Balkans an explosive region in Europe after 1871.
11 Analyse the characteristic features of Prussia’s leadership role in movement for German 5
unification.
12 Emphasize the role of different leaders in the different stages of Italian Unification. 5

SIS/CBQ/Social Science