Assignment: GNP _____________ Name __________________
GNP in Nineteenth-Century
Europe
ECONOMIC FOCUS GNP is the abbreviation for “gross national product.”
Gross national product is the total value of the goods and services produced by
the people in a nation during a specific period of time.
As you read, keep in mind that the unification of Italy and Germany were
not completed until 1870 and 1871, respectively.
The nineteenth century was a time of major political change in Europe. A
series of revolutions in 1848 threatened to overturn a status quo that had
been in place for three decades. Though the 1848 revolutions ultimately
failed, the spirit of nationalism remained strong across the continent. In the
mid-1800s, the Italian states joined together to form a single nation. During
the same period, the German states similarly united to create a single
Germany. Hungarian nationalism in the Austrian Empire, meanwhile, led
to the creation of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary in 1867.
The nineteenth century was also a time of great economic change in
Europe. The Industrial Revolution, which began in Great Britain in the late
1700s, had spread to the continent by the early 1800s. As the century
progressed, the European powers sought to industrialize their economies.
As the table below indicates, increases in economic productivity occurred
at different rates across the continent during the 1800s.
GNP of the European Powers, 1830–1890
(in billions; in 1960 U.S. dollars & prices)
Year
Russia
Great
Britain
France
AustriaHungary
Germany
Italy
1830
10.5
8.2
8.5
7.2
7.2
5.5
1840
11.2
10.4
10.3
8.3
8.3
5.9
1850
12.7
12.5
11.8
9.1
10.3
6.6
1860
14.4
16.0
13.3
9.9
12.7
7.4
1870
22.9
19.6
16.8
11.3
16.6
8.2
1880
23.2
23.5
17.3
12.2
19.9
8.7
1890
21.1
29.4
19.7
15.3
26.4
9.4
Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
Use data from the table to create a line graph on the grid below. Label the
bottom of the grid with the years shown in the table. Label the left edge of
the grid from 0 to 30 (in billions of dollars) in increments of 5. Next, use
six different colored lines to plot the GNP of the nations listed in the table.
Then answer the questions that follow.
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING:

According to the graph, which nation had the highest GNP in 1850?

Which nation’s GNP increased by the smallest amount between 1830 and 1890?

Which nation’s GNP increased by the greatest amount during that period?

In 1882, Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary formed an alliance. Russia,
France, and Britain later joined together in an opposing alliance. Based on the
graph, which of the two alliances was stronger economically?

The term per capita means “per person.” Russia’s per capita GNP was 170 in
1830 and 182 in 1890. What do those numbers suggest about changes in the
nation’s way of life?

Do you think that a country’s GNP is a good indicator of change in a country?
Why or why not?

What other national factors do you think would have to be included in a study to
really understand how a country was changing?
Original content Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.