Nation States and State Nations Flashcards

Question

How was the German nation state born?

Answer 1

German nationalism of the 19th century-initially a response to Napoleonic expansionism-departed from its French counter-part. Long before 1789, there had existed among the German principalities a sense of social and cultural unity. The French Revolution intensified this. Johann Gottfried von Herder (1744-1803) had expounded what in effect might be called a cultural nationalism. He had conceived of humanity as made up of a series of cultures each consisting of a group or a "folk" (Volk) with its own tradition, custom, literature, music, language, and even "soul" (Volksgeist). To Herder each culture represented natural and organic growth. He used a biological analogy in describing cultural groups as living organisms that are born, grow, and mature. He advocated a comparative "physiognomy" of the peoples of the world. BUT Herder did not call for the creation of nation-states. For him, nationalism was a romantic conception looking toward humanity rather than states; it was devoid of political imperatives. It was Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel who succeeded in giving Herder's cultural nationalism a firm political grounding. What Hegel had done in theory and philosophy, Otto von Bismarck and Heinrich von Treitschke accomplished in practice. In Germany this sense of national identity preceded the state, in France, the state preceded the nation.

Answer 2

In the 20thC a "new nationalism" took place, for the most part, in colonial areas; and it was, in large measure, a reaction against prior Western policies of imperialism and conquest. The new nationalism that emerged in Africa and Asia most often either seized or negotiated the occupancy of the state's structures the character of which often moulded the vehicles of authority. There often lacked a society-wide feeling of commonality.

Answer 3

One major challenge faced by most non-Western nationalisms is the fact that they have to attempt to integrate foreign values and practices without sacrificing the essential distinctiveness which justifies the practice of colonial peoples calling themselves "nations”. Most Western nations did not suffer the traumas of this ordeal in their development. "Integration" has even more profound implications, therefore, in the non-Western nationalist experience.

Answer 4

Non-Western nationalism is, at least initially, a protest movement. The doctrinal and attitudinal content of non-Western nationalism is largely negative, signifying a reaction against foreign domination. A related feature of non-Western nationalism lies in the extremely important role played by the intellectual elite. It is dominated by an abhorrence of subjugation rather than from a sense of cultural identity.

Answer 5

The first question for the architects of the new state nations is what integrative cement can serve as a substitute for cultural affinity. The very mixed success of national language acts (e.g., in India and Malaysia) and state religion establishments (e.g., in Burma) casts doubt on the ability of authorities to create cultural affinities by fiat. These state nations’ nationalist movements are dominated by an abhorrence of subjugation rather than from a sense of cultural identity which separates the outsider from the insider. In Europe nationalism spurred modernisation; in most of Africa and Asia modernisation is looked to as a means of promoting nationalism?

Answer 6

The dichotomy between Western and non-Western nationalism, between nation-states and state-nations, should not be read as a dichotomy between "natural" and "artificial” entities. If nations are collectivities bound together by common allegiances to the whole, then there is no reason why state-nations cannot be as genuine in their "nationhood" as nation-states (however, the nationalism of state-nations has tended to be elitist and officially sponsored, while the nationalism of nation-states has tended to be mass and to an extent spontaneous).

Answer 7

They feel the need to reexamine the territorial and social bases for their autonomy and integration. Older nation-states which consolidated in the national form prior to the "knowledge explosion" and the "technological revolution" are discovering that in order to pursue or keep pace with modernisation they must reexamine the territorial and social bases of their autonomy and integration. The newer state-nations, on the other hand, do not face quite the same necessity for reexamining the bases of their integration because they began to integrate at a time when the need for the pooling of resources was already more apparent. Thus in Africa and Asia the parallel processes of regionalism and national consolidation go along relatively smoothly side by side, whereas in Europe the same two processes generate greater internal strain. The duality arouses greater self-consciousness because it means redefining the proper criteria for autonomy and integration. This increase in self-consciousness may in turn be largely responsible for the seemingly anomalous outbursts of nationalist separatism in Belgium, Canada, and Great Britain.

Answer 8

Western vs Eastern - state nations often exist outside the west as products of western colonialism (state concept doesn't work everywhere in the world), except for Turkey and Iran as examples. Bottom up vs Top down nationalism - Often bottom up in nation states and top down in state nations as the government try and manufacture and force a national identity onto citizens to create a strong government (or born out of resistance - e.g. Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana, Azikiwe…), often coincides with west vs east dichotomy. Language based separatist nationalism - language is often central to the nationalism of not yet established nation states as it spurs on separatists and gives them legitimacy (e.g. Catalans, Basques, Corsicans, Welsh...)

Answer 9

The world is composed of 195 sovereign states - popular because seen as best way of organising people and governing. Sovereign states fairly new concept. State has a territory, a population and complete sovereignty within its borders (independent governments). Westphalia led to establishment of doctrine of non-interference. States should not integer in the domestic affairs of other states - UN Charter Article 2(4) and Article 2(7). This is the Westphalian system.

Answer 10

The 1648 Treaty of Westphalia. The Treaty came out of the 30 years war. 30 years war (1618-48 war involving Sweden, various German states, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Poland... caused great destruction in Europe) = Treaty of Westphalia (1648) = treaty which birthed the sovereign state and a system of sovereign states (statist system). The Treaty was a way out of international confusion, lawlessness, conflict and chaos. HOWEVER Westphalian system created in Europe and worked for Europe. But does it work for the rest of the world? Lines across the world drawn by European empires to create a world carved up into sovereign states has led to problems across the entire globe. Is a one size fits all policy right to take?

Answer 11

Divide and rule. European empires carved the world according to European rules and European outlooks. Often borders were drawn to DIVIDE strong nations, clans or tribes, or simply just drawn to separate empires as they CONQUERed. (Divide and conquer). Families and people groups divided by the Europeans for European gain. Divisions further exacerbated through post-colonial states which were left as state nations with all of the problems that being a state nation brings. Often European powers left state nations with a minority in power (e.g. Shias left ruling Sunni Syria…) so that the governing minority will be thankful to the power as they lack governing legitimacy. State nations are also natural breeding grounds for separatism and secessionist movements (exist across the post-colonial world).

Answer 12

Post-WW2 world saw the the fall of European empires and the establishment of dozens of new states (quantitive problem), YET Eurocentric understandings of the world from the imperial age still remained (qualitative problem). States across the globe were built on Eurocentric moulds and standards.

Answer 13

West (American aligned) and East (Soviet aligned) camps kept lids on problems that were to surface later on. The USSR and USA tried to suppress any problems within their camp. Non-aligned states obvious exceptions. 1991-2008 = Unipolar period of American hegemony. Ended due to recession of 2008 and failures in Iraq. Lid fell off and things fell apart to a degree and states are in their current scenario.

Answer 14

Dual pressures. Contemporary developing states have domestic challenges along with external challenges.

Answer 15

-Maintain international order and status-quo -Security relations and pacts with the West (e.g. weapon deals) -That helps domestic control (but without legitimacy) -Developing world elites serving the interests of Western/global elites Developing state nations face loads of pressures from within, from outside and also pressure to urgently pool resources to modernise (pooling of citizens’ loyalties, allegiances and attentions comes second). State nations rely on top down nationalism eventually to get citizens’ loyalties or they rely on force to sustain the arrangement of the nation state. Often increases divisions which undermines rather than reinforce state’s authority.

Answer 16

There is an argument that yes it is. People (refugees, asylum seekers…) on the move because of failing state nations with ethnic conflict or post colonial states with no economic development… intra and inter state conflicts exist all over the post-colonial world. Europe had a big hand in causing problems across the globe which have led to conflicts in artificial state nations (defeats “why can’t they all just get along” talking point) and has pushed people out (why are European Right Wingers to close the door on problems largely created by Europe?).

Answer 17

The west. Many state nations have aspirations of independence from this system. These aspirations are the “products of a historical process of unequal interaction-in military, economic, political, cultural, and technological terms - between the populations (of these states) … and their former colonial masters” (Ayoob 1989, 71).