“It is nationalism which engenders nations, and not the other way round.” Such words were written by prominent social anthropologist Ernest Gellner in his work Nations and Nationalism (1983). Nationalism can be defined as a person or group’s loyalty and support for their nation, whatever that nation may be. This brings to light a very troublesome and tortuous subject. Expressed simply as Nationalism, this being is very controversial, many hailing it as a propitious concept, while others putting it down and viewing it in animosity. But what is more controversial & more complex would be the establishment of such. What effects its creation? What factors develop it? And what factors affect it the most?
As with the topic of beauty, War, or Religion, nationalism and its roots are a again, a being of much controversy. Constantly being argued upon, assumptions of nationalism’s creation ranges from it being solely created upon historic, religious, social, geographical, and economical factors, or any combination(s) of the factors stated. An example of an argument which supports History as being the primary (and possibly the only) source of nationalism is prevalent within Margret Macmillan’s work The Uses and Abuses of History (2009) where she states that “History provides much of the fuel for Nationalism” and that the “celebration of the nation’s great achievements—and the shared sorrow at its defeats—sustain and foster it.” What she fails to mention is that there is more to development of nationalism than just history. Through my eyes it is evident that Professor Macmillan hasn’t fully grasped the depth, or simply has ignored the other factors of nationalism. In respect to a nation and its nationalism, history has a major impact on its...
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"Lecture 11: The Origins of the French Revolution." The History Guide -- Main. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2012. .
MacMillan, Margaret. The uses and abuses of history. Toronto: Penguin Canada, 2009. Print.
Sebesta, Edward , and Euan Hague. "The US Civil War as a Theological War: Confederate Christian Nationalism and the League of the South." 22 (2002): 253-271. Print.
"The Reformation." History Learning Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2012. .
Gellner, Ernest . Nations and Nationalism. 1983. Reprint. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2006. Print.
Clearly there never was just one French Revolution, but rather a series of revolutions. These occurred while the French struggled to create a new political and social system – one that would follow principles radically different to that of the ‘ancient’ regime. There were five regimes during the French Revolution between 1787 and 1800. However, despite this fragmented revolution, the same fundamental principles guided most of the revolutionaries involved. These principles included equality under law, centralisation of government, elimination of feudal rights, religious freedom and careers open to talent, not birth.
“Nationalism(n.) - loyalty or devotion to a nation, especially an attitude, feeling, or belief characterize by a sense of national consciousness” (The War of 1812 and the Rise of Nationalism 1). Nationalism was a crucial part of America’s success during the War of 1812; nationalism was reflected in the post-war period through increased national pride, emphasis on national issues, increase in power and scope of the national government, and a growing sense of American identity (The War of 1812 and the Rise of Nationalism 1). The first to arise which was the driving force behind American victories against the British was nationalism. This nationalism was expressed in four ways; patriotism, political, economical and cultural. American patriotism
A survey of the civil war history from around 1970 to the present provides a very extensive context in terms of historical attention to the civil war and religion. These days, modern historians have taken the approach to this topic of religion and the civil war in many distinct categories and sub-categories, which follow, in the next order:
Beginning in mid-1789, and lasting until late-1799, the French Revolution vastly changed the nation of France throughout its ten years. From the storming of the Bastille, the ousting of the royal family, the Reign of Terror, and all the way to the Napoleonic period, France changed vastly during this time. But, for the better part of the last 200 years, the effects that the French Revolution had on the nation, have been vigorously debated by historian and other experts. Aspects of debate have focused around how much change the revolution really caused, and the type of change, as well as whether the changes that it brought about should be looked at as positive or negative. Furthermore, many debate whether the Revolutions excesses and shortcomings can be justified by the gains that the revolution brought throughout the country.
Snay, Mitchell, Randall M. Miller, Harry S. Stout, and Charles Reagan Wilson. "Religion and the American Civil War." The American Historical Review 105.1 (2000): 217. Print.
World War I, also known as “The Great War”, was a global war that revolved mainly around Europe. It took place from 1914 to 1918. This was a very brutal war that caused many casualties. The soldiers who survived experienced severe trauma and mental discomfort. This trauma was a direct result of the violence and agony they experienced during the war. Motivation for this war was the idea of nationalism and the pride in one’s country. This war was the cause of disillusionment among many of the soldiers that were involved in it.
Nationalism has a long history although most scholarly research on Nationalism only began in the mid-twentieth century. Some scholars point to the French Revolution of 1789 as the birth of Nationalism. The French Revolution is seen...
Kreis, S. (2006, October 30). Lecture 11: The Origins of the French Revolution. Lecture 11: The Origins of the French Revolution. Retrieved May 15, 2014, from http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/lecture11a.html
Kreis, Steven. "Lecture 12: The French Revolution - Moderate Stage, 1789-1792." The History Guide -- Main. 13 May 2004. Web. 03 Nov. 2011. .
Nationalism is way of thinking both political and socially to create a community united by: history, ethnicity, religions, common culture, and language. Numerous effects occurred while establishing a Nationalist community, some effects were a long term impact on Nationalism, and other was short term impacts on Nationalism.
...powerful forces in binding people together, nationalism is a powerful force capable of inducing people to act collectively, share burdens, and even make sacrifices for the nation’s common good. As a result, it promotes the stability of democracies.
Nationalism is the idea that a people who have much in common, such as language, culture and geographic proximity ought to organize in such a way that it creates a stable and enduring state. Nationalism is tied to patriotism, and it is the driving force behind the identity of a culture. Nationalism had many effects in Europe from 1815, The Congress of Vienna and beyond. In the following essay I will describe many of the consequences of nationalism on European identity, as well as some of the conflicts that it created.
Nardo, Don. A. The French Revolution. San Diego, California: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1999. Print.
To prove this Anthony Smith states6, “It comes as no surprise the world’s most intractable conflicts- in India and the Middle East, the Caucasus and the Horn of Africa, the Balkans and the southern Africa are either ethno-national conflicts or possess a strong nationalist component.” thereby implying that people from historical ethnic backgrounds possess a sense of nationalism and strive for it. Furthermore7, many of the first nations that emerged in the West were based on ethnic ties like England, France, Sweden, Holland and these nations acted as models for others when they came into being therefore, if we examine closely we can find clear ethnic traces in most of the nations existing in the modern
The French Revolution, which occurred from 1789 to 1799, was a time where the monarchy was overthrown, a republic was formed, and limits were put on the church. The French Revolution ended with the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1799. The French Revolution created France’s legislative assembly, which is still in place today. Many would argue that the Enlightment was a cause of the French Revolution, but the Enlightment was not one of the main drivers for the Revolution. The bad living conditions, France’s monarchy, and the involvement in the American Revolution and other wars caused the French Revolution.