How Did Nationalism First Emerge?
What is nationalism?
Definition
Nationalism
A strong belief that your nation is unique, important, and should govern itself. It creates loyalty and pride, but can also lead to competition or conflict between nations.
- Nationalism is the idea that people who share a common identity (language, culture, history) should rule themselves.
- For most of history, people didn’t think in terms of “nations.” They were loyal to a king, a religion, or a local village.
Analogy
- Think of it like moving from “I’m loyal to my school’s headteacher” to “I’m loyal to my whole school community.”
Common Mistake
- Don’t confuse nationalism with patriotism.
- Patriotism = pride in your country.
- Nationalism = belief that a group should govern itself.
1. Enlightenment Ideas (1700s)
- Enlightenment thinkers challenged the idea that kings ruled by “divine right.”
- New idea: political power belongs to the people (popular sovereignty).
- Once people began asking, “Why does he get to rule us?”, nationalism started gaining momentum.
Example
- John Locke argued that governments must protect citizens’ natural rights: this encouraged citizens to see themselves as politically important.
2. The American & French Revolutions
American Revolution (1776)
- Colonists rejected British rule and claimed their right to form an independent nation.
- They united around shared ideas (liberty, rights, self-government), not just shared ethnicity.
Note
- This was one of the first successful examples of people forming a nation based on shared political values.
French Revolution (1789)
- The French overthrew the monarchy and declared that sovereignty came from the nation, not the king.
- People began to see themselves as citizens with rights.
Example
- The French national anthem, La Marseillaise, became a symbol of unity and identity.
3. Growth of Print Culture
- Books, newspapers, and pamphlets spread faster in the 1700s–1800s.
- People began reading the same news and stories, creating a shared worldview.
- Historian Benedict Anderson called nations “imagined communities” because you feel connected to people you’ll never meet.
Example
- In 19th-century Italy, newspapers like Il Risorgimento spread stories about unification, patriotic heroes, and political debates.
- Even people who had never met felt connected because they were reading the same news at the same time.
- This helped Italians imagine themselves as one nation rather than separate states.
4. Industrialisation & Urbanisation
- As people moved from rural villages to cities, they met others from the same region who spoke the same language.
- Governments created national school systems teaching the same language and national history.
Example
- In Germany and Italy, standardising the national language was a major step toward unification.
5. Decline of Empires
- Large, multi-ethnic empires (Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, Russian) struggled to control many diverse groups.
- Different ethnic groups began demanding independence based on shared culture, language, or religion.
- Nationalism encouraged people to think: “Why are we being ruled by outsiders?”
Example
- Greek nationalism led to independence from the Ottoman Empire in the 1820s.
Common Mistake
- Don’t assume decline = collapse.
- Decline means losing control or unity, which opened space for nationalist movements.
6. Romanticism & Cultural Pride
- Romantic writers, artists, and musicians celebrated folk tales, national heroes, and local traditions.
- This emotional connection made nationalism feel personal, not just political.
Example
- Brothers Grimm collected traditional German folktales, helping Germans feel connected through shared stories.
- When culture becomes a symbol of unity, nationalism strengthens quickly.
Self review
- How did Enlightenment ideas challenge traditional authority and make nationalism possible?
- Why were the American and French Revolutions important in demonstrating nationalism in action?
- How did print culture help create a shared national identity?
- Why did industrialisation and urbanisation encourage a shift from local identity to national identity?
- How did the decline of multi-ethnic empires contribute to nationalist movements?
