12th Standard History — Europe in Turmoil Online Test
Unit 12 of 12th History follows Europe from the fall of Napoleon to the Long Depression: the Utopian socialists and Marx, the Chartist movement in England, the July 1830 and February 1848 revolutions in France, the unification of Italy and Germany, the Paris Commune of 1871 and the labour struggles of 1873 to 1896.
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About Europe in Turmoil
Medium ~55 min study
Europe in Turmoil is the twelfth unit of the Tamil Nadu State Board Class 12 History book. It opens with Metternich's remark that when France sneezes, Europe catches a cold, and shows how the revolutions of 1789, 1830 and 1848 spread liberal and national ideas across a continent held down by the Concert of Europe.
The lesson traces the rise of socialist ideas from Morally and Babeuf to Saint Simon, Fourier, Owen, Proudhon, Louis Blanc and Marx, the Chartist movement, the work of Mazzini, Cavour and Garibaldi in Italy, Bismarck's blood and iron policy in Germany, the Paris Commune and the Long Depression.
This page gives the twenty one mark questions of the book exercise with answers checked against the lesson, plus additional questions on persons, treaties, dates and labour struggles, each with a short explanation.
What you'll learn
- Explain how Metternich and the Concert of Europe tried to suppress liberal and national movements.
- Describe the ideas of the Utopian socialists, Proudhon, Louis Blanc and Marx.
- State the six points of the Chartists and the outcome of the Chartist movement.
- Compare the July Revolution of 1830 with the February Revolution of 1848.
- Trace the roles of Mazzini, Cavour and Garibaldi in the unification of Italy and of Bismarck in Germany.
- Describe the Paris Commune and the working class struggles of the Long Depression.
Before you start
- The French Revolution of 1789 and the career of Napoleon Bonaparte.
- The Industrial Revolution and the rise of the working class.
Topics covered in this chapter
Europe in Turmoil explained
What this lesson covers
Europe after Napoleon
Napoleon was exiled to Elba in 1814 and, after Waterloo in 1815, to St. Helena. The Congress of Vienna restored the old monarchies and Metternich's Concert of Europe crushed revolts in Naples (1820) and Spain (1822).
Socialist ideas
Utopian socialists such as Saint Simon, Fourier and Robert Owen proposed model communities. Proudhon said all property is theft; Louis Blanc proposed social workshops. Marx and Engels published the Communist Manifesto in 1848 and Das Kapital followed in 1867.
Chartism and the French revolutions
The Chartists demanded six reforms through the People's Charter. In France the July Revolution of 1830 replaced Charles X with Louis Philippe, and the February Revolution of 1848 led to the bloody June days and the rise of Napoleon III.
Unification of Italy and Germany
Mazzini, Cavour and Garibaldi united Italy under Victor Emmanuel II, completed with Rome in 1871. Bismarck fought Denmark, Austria and France to unite Germany, and William I was declared Emperor at Versailles.
Paris Commune and the Long Depression
Workers held Paris in 1871 until Thiers crushed the Commune. The Long Depression (1873-1896) brought strikes at Homestead, Pullman, the Bryant and May match factory and the London docks.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Saying Napoleon was first exiled to St. Helena. He was first sent to Elba in 1814 and to St. Helena only after Waterloo.
- Placing Waterloo in France. The lesson says Waterloo is in Belgium.
- Confusing the Communist Manifesto (1848) with the first volume of Das Kapital (1867).
- Mixing up the Convention of Gastein: Holstein went to Austria and Schleswig to Prussia.
Test yourself on these with the practice test, then check the worked reasoning in the solved MCQs.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the period between 24 and 26 June 1848 called the bloody June days?
The Assembly elected in April 1848 shut down the workshops started by Louis Blanc as a threat to social order. The workers rose in protest; between 24 and 26 June thousands were killed and eleven thousand revolutionaries were imprisoned or deported.
What was the Concert of Europe?
It was founded by Austria, Prussia, Russia and Britain after Napoleon's fall to preserve European order and the balance of power. In the Metternich Era (1815-1848) the great powers used it to intervene in states threatened by internal rebellion.
What were the six points of the People's Charter?
Universal suffrage, voting by ballot, no property qualification for candidates, payment of members of the House of Commons, equal electoral districts and annual parliaments. They were later taken into the Reform Acts of 1867 and 1884.
Who were the three central figures of Italian unification?
Mazzini, Cavour and Garibaldi. Cavour is considered the brain, Mazzini the soul and Garibaldi the sword-arm of Italian unification.
What was the importance of the Zollverein?
Prussia set up the Zollverein, a customs union, in 1834. By the 1840s it included most Germanic states except those under Austria and gave them economic unity, preparing the way for political unification.
How did the Ems telegram cause the Franco-Prussian War?
The Prussian King sent Bismarck a telegram about his meeting with the French minister Gramont at Ems. Bismarck edited it so that the French felt their ambassador insulted and the Prussians felt their king humiliated, which triggered the war.
What was the Gilded Age?
The period from the 1870s to 1900 in the USA. Industry grew and real wages rose, but it was also an era of poverty and inequality, with wealth concentrated in a few hands and many strikes by workers.
Last updated 19 October 2026