Nationalism and Nation-Building in the Early 1900s

Introduction: Defining Nationalism

Nationalism is considered the proliferation of a homogeneous political identity within a territorially bounded community, spread through various means of communication. In some cases, nationalism is described as the feeling of patriotic zeal for one's country. Nationalism was a common factor in the development of nations in the 1900s and also contributed to the First World War. This concept played a crucial role in nation-building by cultivating a sentiment that bound large groups of people around the idea that they share certain things in common, such as religion, culture, and ethnicity. The modern concept of nationalism, however, is based primarily on a sense of common national identity. Given the patriotic fervor it generates, nationalism played a significant role in the development of nations in the 1900s.

The Concept of Nationalism

Nationalism can be regarded as one of the most powerful concepts of political legitimacy in the contemporary world. Its potency ascertains that the nation should be freely and collectively expressed through institutional means and governed by co-nationals. Moreover, nationalist movements have emerged as powerful groups with the ability to shake states and empires (O'Leary, p. 191). The strength of nationalism has contributed to its emergence as a major principle of political legitimacy in modern society. Consequently, nationalism is an essential element of modernity and the most significant principle of political legitimacy.

As previously noted, nationalism can be defined as a sense of political fervor for one's country — a sentiment that influences the development of nations by binding together large groups of people. These groups are bound by the idea that they share certain things in common, such as ethnicity, culture, and religion. There are two distinct manifestations of nationalism: divisive nationalism and unifying nationalism. Divisive nationalism refers to the form of political fervor that occurs when a larger country disintegrates into several nation-states, while unifying nationalism occurs when members of politically separate or unincorporated nations join to form a single nation or country (Lewis, par. 2).

These differences in manifestation imply that nationalism is not necessarily an arousing of nations to self-consciousness, but rather the invention of nations where they do not yet exist — achieved through the use of pre-existing differentiating factors. Nationalism requires both positive and negative social foundations in order to occur and contribute to the development of nations. Positive social foundations refer to economies of scale in generating literate citizens through state-sponsored educational systems, whereas negative social foundations refer to a shared culture, which is more important in developing and maintaining social cohesion.

The concept of nationalism has attracted different views and opinions that have generated considerable controversy. These controversies are mainly attributed to arguments about nationalism that have unsettled both conservatives and secular rationalists. Among the reasons for controversy is the belief that nationalism demotes religion to a secondary, unimportant principle of a firm and legitimate political order, thereby challenging conventional conservatism. Secondly, nationalism generates controversy by presupposing that reason, material gain, law, social justice, and utility are secondary principles in the development and maintenance of a stable and legitimate political order. This suggestion has attracted sustained disapproval from rationalist liberals and socialists for approximately 200 years (O'Leary, p. 192).

Role of Nationalism in the Development of Nations in the 1900s

The development of nations in the 1900s was partly influenced by nationalism, which was an important factor in Europe's growth as a continent. Nationalism was a vital component in that development following the emergence of romantic nationalism, which became a defining characteristic of the European continent and transformed its countries in the nineteenth century. Countries such as Romania, Italy, and Germany — among the newly formed nations in Europe during that period — were developed through the amalgamation of regional states sharing a common national identity. By contrast, countries like Bulgaria, Poland, and Greece were developed through gaining independence. Nationalism not only defined but also acted as a unifying factor in both scenarios: joining states with a mutual national identity and pursuing independence, particularly in relation to a sense of nationality. The significance of nationalism in the development of nations in the 1900s is evident in several key areas.

Mobilization

One of the roles of nationalism in the development of nations in the 1900s was the mobilization of people who shared a national identity along with other important factors such as ethnicity, religion, and culture. In the early phases, nationalism focused on political individualism and a commercial, agricultural economy (Snyder, p. 8). In attempting to develop an agricultural and commercial economy alongside political individualism, nationalism was used as a tool for the mass mobilization of preindustrial and pre-commercial peasant populations. This mobilization in turn played a crucial role in the unification of states or individuals with a shared national identity, as well as in the quest for independence in some countries.

The development of nations in the 1900s would have been difficult to realize without such mobilization. Mobilization acted as the basis through which individuals could exchange ideas and formulate plans geared toward creating a sense of national identity within their communities. Moreover, mobilization through nationalism served as a platform through which pre-commercial, preindustrial peasant peoples could express their desires, interests, and ideas in the development of a nation.

Conclusion

Nationalism is the most powerful principle of political legitimacy, given its role in the development of a stable and legitimate political order. The impact of nationalism in creating such an order is attributed to the political fervor it generates toward a common sense of national identity. This concept played an important role in the development of nations in the 1900s through unification, mobilization, resistance to imperialism, and the conflicts that reshaped the modern world.

Works Cited

Best, Antony. The International History of East Asia, 1900–1968: Trade, Ideology and the Quest for Order. New York: Routledge, 2010. Print.

Burke, Matthew. "Liberal Nationalism's Role in the Development of the German Nation-State." Historia. Eastern Illinois University, n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2015.

Lewis, Dakota. "Nationalism in Europe 1815–1900." Prezi. Prezi Inc., 31 Jan. 2013. Web. 8 Apr. 2015.

O'Leary, Brendan. "On the Nature of Nationalism: An Appraisal of Ernest Gellner's Writings on Nationalism." British Journal of Political Science 27 (1997): 191–222. Print.

Snyder, Louis L. The New Nationalism. Ithaca, NY: Cornell UP, 1968. Print.