CBSE Class 10 Answered

In the late 18^th and the early 19^th century, there were no nation states. Germany, Switzerland and Italy were divided into kingdoms, duchies and cantons that were ruled by different rulers. Europe had divergent political conditions at this time. Eastern and Central Europe were under autocratic monarchies within the territories of which lived diverse peoples. They spoke different languages and belonged to different ethnic groups. For example, the Habsburg Empire that ruled over Austria-Hungary was a patchwork of many different regions and peoples. It included the Alpine regions – the Tyrol, Austria and the Sudetenland – as well as Bohemia, where the aristocracy was predominantly German-speaking. It also included the Italian-speaking provinces of Lombardy and Venetia.

In Hungry too, while half of the people spoke Magyar, the other half spoke various regional languages. Besides these, there were number of communities like Bohemians, Slovaks, Slovenes, Croats and Roumans who inhabited Europe.