The Rise of Nationalism
People generally like to live among other people with whom they share a common culture.
Culture ties people together and these ties, along with feelings of patriotism towards one’s nation,
can lead to feelings of Nationalism. Patriotism is a love of one’s country that inspires one to serve
for the benefit of its citizens. Nationalism is also a love of one’s country, but with the belief that the
country is superior to other countries. It is a loyalty to the nation-state rather than the community.
People usually share a common language, land, traditions, language or religion. It often inspires
people to do just about anything to protect their culture and the survival of their homeland. People
who have shared similar experiences and faced danger and serious problems
are likely to develop nationalistic feelings.
As late as the beginning of the nineteenth century, Europeans identified
themselves not with their national leaders, but instead with their regions. In
fact, rural people from remote regions often could not even name the country
they lived in. They might first think of themselves as Slavs, Slovaks, Magyars,
Walloons, Czechs, or Basques, and never consider their national identity.
Sometimes this regional identity was based in a regional dialect, not the
national language. Often it was due to the fact that the majority of Europeans,
especially the peasants— never travelled more than a few miles from the
place of their birth.
As the Industrial Revolution made communication and transportation easier,
and trade and commerce connected people in new ways, this regionalism was replaced, beginning
a little over a century ago, with nationalistic pride and identity. The gov’ts of nation-states
developed structures which helped people find their identity. Scholars produced books which
described the history of their nation. In some countries, the gov’t sponsored programs to collect
traditional folk stories and fairy tales which helped identify a people as Norwegian, German, or
French. Dictionaries of peasant dialects{languages} were collected. Traditional national costumes
were developed. The most extensive means by which European nations fostered a new
understanding within their people was through the development of the public school system. It was
during the final thirty years of the nineteenth century that European governments from east to west
instituted free public education which was compulsory and universal.
Throughout history, nationalism has ignited many struggles for independence and self-rule.
The first kinds of struggle, people of different states want to unite, or be unified, into a single
nation-state with a central government. In the 19th century, countries such as Germany and Italy
were broken up into many independent states. Each of these states had its own government and
was only loosely connected to the other states. The second kind of struggle often inspired by
nationalism happens when a group of people want to break free of foreign rule and gain self-rule.
Of course, a good example of this kind of fight for independence was the American Revolution,
when Americans fought the British for the right to self-rule. Sometimes nationalism leads people to
believe that their culture and way of life is much better than any other. They may come to believe
that all people should behave and believe as they do. Extreme nationalism is a desire to spread
one’s culture to other parts of the world. France’s Napoleon is a strong example of a leader who
tried to spread his country’s culture when he conquered most of Europe.
During the l9th century, forces of nationalism led to the independence of Egypt and Greece.
The rise of nationalism also led to independence movements in Ireland, Holland, and Belgium.
Most importantly, the Northern German Confederation and the Southern German states were
unified into Germany, and the different independent states of Italy were unified into one nationstate.
Nationalism also led to the breakup of two empires—the Austrian Empire and the Ottoman
Empire. The governments of the Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empires were unable to
prevent nationalistic groups, especially in Balkan territories, from gaining independence.
Nationalistic rebellions usually had bloody and violent results. As Europe entered the 20th
century, these events created many of the hostilities which led to World War I.
Directions: Answer each question completely.
1) What is the difference between Patriotism and Nationalism?
2) What is Nationalism?
3) What problem did a lot of people have who lived in remote regions?
4) Why do you think education is important to a nation?
5) Describe the two types of struggles inspired by nationalism.
Directions: Label whether the statement is Fact or Opinion.
6) Nationalism is the feelings of patriotism towards one’s nation.
7) People who have shared similar experiences and faced danger and serious problems
do develop nationalistic feelings
8) Peasants of the nineteenth century never travelled more than a few miles from the
place of their birth.
9) The Industrial Revolution made communication and transportation easier.
10) Scholars produced interesting books that described the history of their nation.
11) Extreme Nationalism, to spread your culture around the world, is always a wanted
thing.
12) Nationalism help unite Italy and Germany.
13) Directions:
 The United States has changed under the dictatorship of Almighty Rimmer. His new
country does not have self-government. You and your group are Fed up, so you decide
to rebel and create a new nation.
 You must:
a) Create a new name for your country.
b) A Brief history: where you came from, how you developed, were you are located,
etc.
c) Type of gov't you have in your country.
d) Type of culture you have (culture = traditional language, religion, customs, way of
life).