Nationalism

Question 1

What is Nationalism

Answer 1

An ideology that emphasizes loyalty, devotion, or allegiance to a nation or nation-state and holds that such obligations outweigh other individual or group interests.

Question 2

Von Herder years and context

Answer 2

1744-1803 - French revolution, American independence, American Constitution, industrial revolution.

Question 3

Orign of Von Herders ideas

Answer 3

Formed part of the romantic reaction against rational ideas of the enlightenment

Question 4

Von Herders principal idea

Answer 4

the role in language in society

Question 5

Volk Geist - Von Herder

Answer 5

• they have a common experience that binds them together.
• echoes Rosseau’s concept of the general will.

Question 6

world view of von herder

Answer 6

• The world was naturally divided into nations, each one was defined by its own distinctive culture.
• National culture is developed through historical experience and its main characteristics is a common language.

Question 7

Von Herder book

Answer 7

Treatise on the Origin of Language 1772

Question 8

Treatise on the Origin of Language quote

Answer 8

Has a people anything dearer than the speech of its fathers? In its speech resides its whole thought-domain, its tradition, history, religion, and the basis of life, all its heart and soul. the best culture of a people cannot be expressed through a foreign language, it thrives on the soil of a nation most beautifully

Question 9

what is a key element of national aspiration - von herder

Answer 9

• the defence and preservation of a threatened language
• conservative and radical nationalists have claimed language as a justification for the forcible unity of a nation and discrimination against peoples who do not share that language

Question 10

Rousseau years and context

Answer 10

• 1712-78 - American independence but just misses out on French revolution.

Question 11

Rousseau theories

Answer 11

democracy, education, and psychology, as well as on nationalism.

Question 12

Rosseau book

Answer 12

The Social Contract 1762

Question 13

what ideas make Rosseau a nationalist

Answer 13

patriotism and civic pride

Question 14

Rosseau concept of a nation

Answer 14

• A concept to which people could owe an allegiance which would hold them together. He was not only concerned with the freedom of the nation.
• To this he wrote Considerations on the government of Poland in 1771-72. This work became something of a blueprint for future writers.

Question 15

Political communities - rosseau

Answer 15

• He was concerned with how political communities were created – how people might form themselves into unit’s whoosh would be capable of self-government, and which would be stable and capable of remaining united.

Question 16

Rosseaus influence on french consitution 1791

Answer 16

• ‘The source of all sovereignty is essentially in the nation; no body, no individual can exercise authority that does not proceed from it in plain terms.
• The constitution went on to define French citizenship in a way never done before.
• It therefore established a series of rights and obligations based on that citizenship.

Question 17

General will - rosseau

Answer 17

• Could be interpreted to mean the collective will or spirit of the nation. As such it could not be expressed through conventional democracy but would have to be embodied in the mind of a single, all-powerful individual.
• While Rousseau almost certainly intended this device to be used for good ends, it was similar to the philosophy of a number of totalitarian rulers who used it to subjugate their people.

Question 18

Mazzini Years and context

Answer 18

1805-72 – Reaction against the French Revolution and American independence, growth of liberalism, great reform act.

Question 19

key idea of mazzini

Answer 19

• republicanism

Question 20

Mazzini organisation

Answer 20

In the 1830s he formed a movement known as ‘Young Italy’, dedicated to the overthrow of the hereditary monarchies that dominated the fragmented Italian peninsula and to replacing them with a united Italy under democratic rule, against Austrians.

Question 21

Mazzini republicansim

Answer 21

This is an imprecise term which has been claimed by many movements throughout modern history, but it can best be described simply as a synthesis between nationalism — the desire to see a nation united and free from external domination — and popular democracy. For Mazzini and his followers, the two aspirations were indivisible.

Question 22

Mazzini main idea

Answer 22

A nation living under hereditary rule was not a free nation at all. His inspiration was the classical Roman republic. By freeing Italy from foreign domination, by unifying the Italian people and by establishing a form of representative democracy, he hoped to create a new Rome.

Question 23

Mazzini book

Answer 23

The Duties of Man (1860)

Question 24

The Duties of Man quote

Answer 24

A country is not a mere territory, the territory is only its foundation; it is the sentiment of love, the sense of fellowship which binds together the sons of that territory.’ Thus he saw nationalism in terms of both territory and nationalist spirit. Some of this spirituality was based on his religious faith.

Question 25

mazzini representative democracy

Answer 25

he supported representative democracy as a political system, he saw the interests of the nation as standing above those of the individual.

Question 26

Charles Maurras years and context

Answer 26

1868 – 1952 – Franco-Prussian war, WW1, and WW2 – examples of Germany attempting to gain power over other countries specifically France.

Question 27

Impact of Maurras

Answer 27

His views remain prescient today and many of his ideas can be found within the contemporary nativist, populist wave of beliefs that flourish in the USA and various parts of Europe.

Question 28

Maurras book and idea

Answer 28

Action Française (1899) - pro-monarchy, antisemitic and anti-democratic.

Question 29

Maurras WW2

Answer 29

supported the pro-fascist Vichy regime which governed half of France on behalf of the German occupiers.

Question 30

Maurras on France

Answer 30

France had lost its greatness because of its abandonment of hereditary monarchy, its separation of church and state and its excessive attachment to democracy. His proposed remedy was the restoration of French nationalism and a stress on patriotism. He also believed that the French state and the Catholic Church should be united – very strongly reactionary.

Question 31

Maurras on freedom

Answer 31

Excessive freedom had led to a lack of respect for the authority of the state; equality had given too much power to the ignorant masses; fraternity had led French people to become too close to inferior peoples.

Question 32

proposition of Maurras

Answer 32

a return to pre-revolutionary France when the monarch and the Church imposed discipline upon the people and democracy had a very limited scope.

Question 33

Maurras main contributions to nationalism

Answer 33

was the idea that the interests and consciousness of individuals should be suppressed in favour of a collective identity, and the most powerful collective identity was integral nationalism.

Question 34

integral nationalism

Answer 34

accepts no collective identity above the nation and demands the people’s complete obedience to the ideals of the nation. It is not quite fascism, but it has a great deal in common with it.

Question 35

Marcus Garvey years and context

Answer 35

1887-1940 – WW1, height of industrial revolution, colonialism (1923 – height of British empire)

Question 36

Basis of Garvey’s beleifs

Answer 36

• The African people were one single race who had been scattered by slavery and divided within Africa itself by colonial rule. By uniting, the black peoples would be capable of throwing off colonial rule and creating a new, free, and united Africa – Garveyism.
• asserted that it had been a conscious policy of colonial rulers to divide the African peoples to be able to dominate them.

Question 37

Garveys book

Answer 37

Message to the People (1937)

Question 38

Message to the People quote

Answer 38

This propaganda of dis-associating Western Negroes from Africa is not a new one. For many years white propagandists have been printing tons of literature to impress scattered Ethiopia [i.e. Africa], especially that portion within their civilization, with the idea that Africa is a despised place, inhabited by savages, and cannibals, where no civilized human being should go, especially black civilized human beings. This propaganda is promulgated for the cause that is being realized today. That cause is colonial expansion for the white nations of the world.’

Question 39

Garvey as a pan-african

Answer 39

To this end he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association, an attempt to counteract the lack of education that so many Africans and African Americans had experienced, and which was holding back their progress. He also published a journal, Negro World, to encourage black education.

Question 40

Garvey - lack emancipation movement

Answer 40

Notably Malcolm X’s Nation of Islam campaign. He was also a major inspiration behind West Indian Rastafarians from the 1950s onwards. Garvey had identified Ethiopia as the original breeding ground for human society, so it became a focus of interest in future black nationalist movements.

Question 41

Nation State

Answer 41

Political units have been described as states, empires, kingdoms etc. Cultural entities have been described as peoples, races, nations etc.

Question 42

Three key features for a strong national identity

Answer 42

• language
• religion
• culture
• ethnicity
• geography

Question 43

Language as a part of human nature

Answer 43

Language a key aspect of culture to bind people together in an organic way - provides a way of communicating thoughts. Language indicates a long common history e.g. Germans, French, Italians.

Question 44

Religion as a part of human nature

Answer 44

nationality defined by religious identity. Also a number of Islamic leaders tried to synthesise and religion e.g. Gadaffi in Libya.

Question 45

Culture as a part of human nature

Answer 45

• culture involves a shared history e.g. British - a multinational people made up of a number of ethnic groups. Brit sense of cultural identity binds them together - traditions in the arts, pride in history, strong set of values all can be attached

Question 46

Ethnicity as a part of human nature

Answer 46

biological divisions not always translated into national differences, but often do Strongly ethnic nations include Chinese, Japanese.

Question 47

Geography as a part of human nature

Answer 47

people who have occupied a specific territory and long attachment to it e.g. Jewish people - Zionism, Russians and motherland.

Question 48

collective identity

Answer 48

relates to the organic unity of the nation

Question 49

liberal cultural nationalism

Answer 49

flourishes when a people reel their distinctive culture is threatened by a more dominant culture - they seek that their separate identity is respected and protected - e.g. Welsh nationalists wish to see their culture and language protected.

Question 50

ultra conservative nationalism

Answer 50

Ultra-conservative nationalism wants to see their culture strengthened not just the interests of cultural survival but because they see their national characteristics as being superior to others eg militarism and expansionism eg Serbian nationalism between the wars.

Question 51

racialism

Answer 51

Belief that racial distinctions are the most important form of national identity. When believed that one race in a nation should be favoured over others it can be described as nativism.

Question 52

Racism

Answer 52

When a racial group feels superior to others and it’s translating this prejudice into discrimination or oppression this can be racism. Racism can be both a state of mind and a political movement eg Nazis, Afrikaner nationalism in South Africa and apartheid. Racism based on tribal distinctions, is a common feature of African states. (Rwanda tribal war between Tutsis, and Hutu)

Question 53

the state - self determination

Answer 53

Idea of self-determination of peoples arose from the Enlightenment e.g. JJ Rousseau as a reaction against absolute monarchy and inspired revolutionary activity e.g. USA and France. In the 19th century many peoples seeking liberation from imperial powers used self-determination as inspiration e.g. South America, Europe. In the 20th century, post WW1 Woodrow Wilson

Question 54

patriotism

Answer 54

refers to pride in one’s state as a political identity, nationalism refers to strong identification with one’s nation. Sometimes they come together e.g. S Africa under Mandela and the Rainbow Nation - different national groupings came together to create new national identity based on diversity.

Question 55

Society - civic nationalism

Answer 55

• Aims to create a new form of national identity where it does not exist. E.g. USA – national identity is less important than the people’s pride in the political institutions of the state. These values are usually associated with liberal ideals e.g. USA love of the Presidency and constitution in a spiritual way.
• Civic nationalism has also become an issue in states where there has been much recent immigration e.g. UK, France, Germany - immigrants encouraged to learn and support national civic values e.g. citizenship test.

Question 56

Society - liberal internationalism

Answer 56

• insist that states which do not conform to liberal principles are not members of the international community of nations.
• a belief that liberalism is an absolute human value which should be exported to other countries whenever possible.

Question 57

Society - socialist internationalism

Answer 57

• A capitalist invention to distract the working class and which inhibits them from achieving class consciousness. - Pure socialists have objected to nationalism because the working class from different countries have a common cause that transcends national identity.
• Nationalism is therefore only tolerated by socialists if it is closely allied with working class aspirations.

Question 58

Socialist nationalism

Answer 58

• Socialist nationalism has mainly thrived in Africa e.g. Nyerere in Tanzania, Mugabe in Zimbabwe all sought to establish socialism in their countries in order to combat international capitalist imperialism.
• Castro in Cuba is the key example of a leader who sought to unite a people behind a collectivist economic system when there had been a weak sense of national identity previously.
• Unfortunately in Cuba this led to people who questioned socialism being seen as unpatriotic and ultimately ended in a tyrannical form of ultra-nationalism

Question 59

Nativism and protectionism

Answer 59

• Nativists believe that the original national group should have economic priority over other groups
• Also that domestic industries should be protected from international competition (protectionism) by using trade barriers.
• Also immigration should be controlled to protect the native population.
• an ultra-conservative, regressive form of nationalism which is backward looking. It seeks to halt the progression of globalisation esp. free trade. Has grown to be a sig force in USA - Trump - and Europe - Le Pen - and stands in direct oppo to liberal internationalism.