Nationalism in Europe Flashcards
who is frederic sorrieu? what did he do
In 1848, Frédéric Sorrieu, a French artist, prepared a series of four
prints visualising his dream of a world made up of ‘democratic
and social Republics’, as he called them. The first print (Fig. 1) of the
series, shows the peoples of Europe and America – men and women
of all ages and social classes – marching in a long train, and offering
homage to the statue of Liberty as they pass by it.
what were some elements of the painting
artists of the time of the French Revolution personified Liberty
as a female figure – here you can recognise the torch of Enlightenment
she bears in one hand and the Charter of the Rights of Man in the
other. On the earth in the foreground of the image lie the shattered
remains of the symbols of absolutist institutions.
define absolutist
Literally, a government or
system of rule that has no restraints on
the power exercised. In history, the term
refers to a form of monarchical
government that was centralised,
militarised and repressive
describe sorrieu’s utopian vision
In Sorrieu’s
utopian vision, the peoples of the world are grouped as distinct
nations, identified through their flags and national costume. Leading
the procession, way past the statue of Liberty, are the United States
and Switzerland, which by this time were already nation-states. France,identifiable by the revolutionary tricolour, has just reached the statue.
She is followed by the peoples of Germany, bearing the black, red
and gold flag. Interestingly, at the time when Sorrieu created this
image, the German peoples did not yet exist as a united nation – the
flag they carry is an expression of liberal hopes in 1848 to unify the
numerous German-speaking principalities into a nation-state under
a democratic constitution. Following the German peoples are the
peoples of Austria, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, Lombardy,
Poland, England, Ireland, Hungary and Russia. From the heavens
above, Christ, saints and angels gaze upon the scene. They have
been used by the artist to symbolise fraternity among the nations of
the world.
define utopian
– A vision of a society that is so
ideal that it is unlikely to actually exist
what changes did nationalism bring
During the nineteenth century, nationalism emerged as a
force which brought about sweeping changes in the political and
mental world of Europe. The end result of these changes was the
emergence of the nation-state in place of the multi-national dynastic
empires of Europe. The concept and practices of a modern state, in
which a centralised power exercised sovereign control over a clearly
defined territory, had been developing over a long period of time
in Europe. But a nation-state was one in which the majority of its
citizens, and not only its rulers, came to develop a sense of common
identity and shared history or descent. This commonness did not
exist from time immemorial; it was forged through struggles, through
the actions of leaders and the common people. \
define nation state
A state that establishes itself as a separate political and geographical entity and functions as a complete and sovereign territorial unit. This concept emerged in 19th century Europe as a result of the growth of nationalism.
Define modern state
A state in which sovereignty is exercised by a centralized power over a specific territory and population.
define absolutist government
A system of government wherein limitless powers are vested in a single person or body. It is a monarchical form of government in which the ruler is the absolute authority and is not answerable to anybody.
