A Level History chapter 3: AS: Liberalism and nationalism in Germany, 1815-1871 MCQs with answers
By Team Megalecture · Updated 4 Nov 2026
39 exam-style questions on AS: Liberalism and nationalism in Germany, 1815-1871, each with the answer and a short explanation. Ten of them are below to try. The chapter test draws ten fresh questions each time and is marked the moment you finish, with your score by topic.
The causes of the Revolutions of 1848-4910 questions
The consequences of the 1848-49 Revolutions10 questions
Bismarck's intentions for Prussia and Germany, 1862-186610 questions
How and why German unification was achieved by 18719 questions
Ten AS: Liberalism and nationalism in Germany, 1815-1871 questions with answers
Try each one, then open the answer. These ten stay the same; the test draws new ones every time.
1. What was the kleindeutsch solution debated at Frankfurt?
A
a united Germany including Austria
B
a Germany under Austrian leadership
C
a united Germany excluding Austria, likely led by Prussia
D
a loose league of independent states with no central power
Show answer
Answer: C. Kleindeutsch meant 'small Germany' without Austria; grossdeutsch meant including German Austria. Austria's refusal to split its empire pushed Frankfurt towards the small solution.
2. What was the effect of the Indemnity Bill of 1866?
A
it made Prussia pay Austria's war costs after the peace
B
it gave the Landtag full control over army spending from then on
C
it abolished the three-class franchise in Prussian elections
D
it approved past spending after the event and split the liberals
Show answer
Answer: D. After victory over Austria, many liberals voted to approve Bismarck's past spending and formed the National Liberal Party.
3. What did Bismarck mean in his 'iron and blood' speech of September 1862?
A
that Prussia should seek peace and an alliance with France
B
that Prussian liberals should all serve in the army to prove their loyalty
C
that great questions would be decided by power, not speeches and votes
D
that Prussia would reduce its army to satisfy the Landtag
Show answer
Answer: C. Speaking to the budget committee, Bismarck dismissed parliamentary debate as the way to settle German questions, which alarmed liberals.
4. Why did Frederick William IV summon the Prussian United Diet in 1847?
A
to draw up a new constitution for the whole of Germany
B
to declare war on Denmark
C
to elect a German emperor
D
to approve a loan for building the Eastern Railway
Show answer
Answer: D. He needed consent for the loan, but members demanded regular meetings and real powers, so he dismissed them. The episode showed rising liberal pressure.
5. How did Frederick William IV respond at first to the Berlin rising of March 1848?
A
he abdicated in favour of his brother William
B
he fled to Potsdam and called on Russia for troops
C
he withdrew troops and promised a constitution and German unity
D
he ordered the army to occupy Frankfurt and dissolve the old federal Diet
Show answer
Answer: C. After street fighting, the king withdrew troops, appointed liberal ministers and appeared in the national colours, though he later reasserted his authority.
6. What triggered the war against Denmark in 1864?
A
a Danish attack on Prussian troops in Holstein
B
the Danish king's moves to bind Schleswig more closely to Denmark
C
Denmark's secret alliance with France against the German Confederation
D
Danish claims to rule Hanover and Oldenburg
Show answer
Answer: B. The November Constitution of 1863 tied Schleswig to Denmark. Prussia and Austria acted together and defeated Denmark.
7. What did the Carlsbad Decrees of 1819 do?
A
granted written constitutions to Baden, Bavaria and the other southern states
B
created the Zollverein under Prussian leadership
C
ended serfdom and the guilds throughout Prussia and Austria
D
imposed censorship, watched universities and banned student societies
Show answer
Answer: D. After a student murdered the writer Kotzebue, Metternich pushed through the Decrees to suppress liberal and nationalist activity.
8. How did Bismarck use the Ems Telegram in July 1870?
A
he edited it so the king's reply to France seemed a deliberate snub
B
he kept it secret to give the diplomats time to avoid war
C
he used it to announce a new alliance with Austria and Russia
D
he sent it on to call up the armies of the southern German states
Show answer
Answer: A. Bismarck shortened the report so it read like a snub. Published, it provoked outrage in France, which declared war on 19 July 1870.
9. How did Bismarck govern Prussia during the budget conflict of 1862-66?
A
he collected taxes and spent money without an approved budget
B
he dissolved the Landtag permanently and ruled by decree
C
he gave in to the liberal majority and cut the army estimates by half
D
he ruled through the Frankfurt Diet
Show answer
Answer: A. Bismarck claimed a 'gap' in the constitution allowed the government to act when crown and parliament disagreed, and kept collecting taxes.
10. Which social group dominated the membership of the Frankfurt Parliament?
A
peasants and artisans elected under universal male suffrage
B
factory workers
C
army officers
D
the educated middle class, such as lawyers and professors
Show answer
Answer: D. It was often called a 'parliament of professors'. Few workers or peasants were members, which limited its popular support.
AS: Liberalism and nationalism in Germany, 1815-1871: questions students ask
How many AS: Liberalism and nationalism in Germany, 1815-1871 MCQs are there?
39, each with the answer and a short explanation, across 4 topics: The causes of the Revolutions of 1848-49, The consequences of the 1848-49 Revolutions, Bismarck's intentions for Prussia and Germany, 1862-1866, How and why German unification was achieved by 1871. Every chapter test draws ten of them, so you can take it many times.
Is the A Level History chapter 3 test free?
Yes. The test, the answers and the explanations are free and need no sign-up. Sign in only if you want your scores kept across devices.
How is the chapter test marked?
The moment you press Finish: your score, the right answer and an explanation for every question, and the ones you got wrong saved in My mistakes to retry.
