Theo Roberts HI426

What is nationalism and how has it influenced history?

Nationalism is, in short an excessive adoration of one’s own country. It is a step further than
simple patriotism, as patriotism suggests a love for one’s country, nationalism takes that
further, believing the country to be superior to all others, and having a nearly unhealthy
suspicion of other countries. Nationalism also has no political leaning, there are left wing and
right wing nationalists. The most obvious examples of nationalism are in Nazi Germany and
Fascist Italy, as whilst they by no means pioneered the idea, they were the first major
country to successfully run itself for an extended period of time, thus being the first time such
ideas were commonplace.
Nationalism has however arguably been around since the very dawn of society1, and many
historians argue it is a natural event to have an adoration for those around you, as almost a
part of the human psyche2, some major ones such as Len Scales argue that it is a very basic
human idea to feel love at those that keep you safe, in the context of Ancient Greece in the
Archaic period, with the fears not only of starvation and disease, but also of other city states,
then a city state protecting you, offering food should it be needed, and protection from those
that would do harm. This would understandably and inherently be something that people
loved, and as the idea of the city state became the norm, people became increasingly
devoted to it, and the ideals of it. In this capacity, it is possible to argue that nationalism is an
ancient and natural idea.
Other however, argue that nationalism, truly only started in the medieval period, when many
people weren’t entirely reliant on their nation for safety, as nations became larger and safer,
so the risk of attack was less, and the direct need for a nation was less, thus nationalism
was only truly created in the medieval period, when a love and trust in one’s own country
was optional3. Furthermore, it can be argued, that the rapid expansion of available literature
in the late medieval period and beyond (15th-16th century)4 gave the academic and
ideological foundations for the concept of nations and their importance, rather than being the
people that ruled and area, the language spoken and taxes paid, the idea of a nation
became much more powerful, and events in Europe in the 16th century such as the Irish
rebellions under queen Elizabeth show a movement towards wars for a country and an ideal,
rather than for the interests and desires of the current monarch or ruler. Taking previous
wars, such as the wars of the roses, events that unfolded only 100 years prior. This was
almost entirely focused on the goals of one individual, and their claims to power. This
development shows a sudden and clear growth in nationalistic tendencies in the later
medieval Europe.
Finally, some historians argue that nationalism only truly stated in what could now be
considered the modern period. This is because whilst items such as the printing press and
newspapers had existed well into the medieval period, the concept of the press only took off
in the 18th century onwards. The most obvious example of the role of the press in the birth of
nationalism is that of revolutionary America5, whereby the published literature had a huge
impact on colonial views of their imperial rules, and was largely the driving force behind the
1
Erica, B., 2013. Nationalism: Intellectual Origins.

2
Scales, L., 2005. Power and the Nation in European History. 1st ed. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.

3
Erica, B., 2013. Nationalism: Intellectual Origins.

4
Buringh, Eltjo; van Zanden, Jan Luiten: "Charting the “Rise of the West”: Manuscripts and
Printed Books in Europe, A Long-Term Perspective from the Sixth through Eighteenth
Centuries", The Journal of Economic History, Vol. 69, No. 2 (2009), pp. 445 (417, table 2)
Theo Roberts HI426

size and tenacity with which the rebellion was fought. Furthermore, it is easy to see
nationalism in the light of the mid-20th century. This is the period that could be most
described as the birth of popular nationalism. A period where nationalism came to the
forefront of society, and was a commonplace ideology. This is of course due to the rise of
fascism throughout the 1920s-30s. Before this period, nationalism was still in many ways a
fringe ideology, and nations were largely underdeveloped, with much of what we now
consider to be core to a nation (i.e. the belief in the same set of values) were in their infancy.
It is only in the 20s and 30s that we see the genuine growth of this. Nationalism often comes
around in times of crisis, when individuals feel attacked and threatened, they will look to their
nations and states to offer protection to them.6 This can be seen to explain the sudden rise
of figures such as Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.
Overall, nationalism can be said to have started at many different times, and for many
different reasons. Nationalism is however defined as “an extreme form of patriotism marked
by a feeling of superiority over other countries.”7 And this is clearly an idea that has existed
for far longer than any border or city we see in modern day. Nationalism has its roots laid
deeply in the 1st and 2nd Millenniums BC.
Nationalism takes on many guises, and sits anywhere from a strong sense of patriotism, to
near genocidal tendencies due to a belif that ones race and country is superior to others.
Nationalism however tends to be politically authoritarian, but also economically centrist. This
is because nationalism taps into a belief of a national identity, and a unifying factor, this
inherent distrust of others, leads to a society that finds itself investing heavily in defence and
intelligence, as seen from as early as ancient Athens with its vast army and navy, to as lately
as Hitler’s Germany, and even arguably in some ways, modern America. With an army of
1,429,9958 with an annual budget of $597 Billion. 9. It could therefore be argued that America
is in many ways, a nationalist country. This has been especially true in light of recent events
such as the election of figures such as Trump, Bannon and Hahn.
Nationalism has been influential (as previously discussed) ofr thousands of years. But the
actual impact of it, has seen a sudden increase in the last 200 years or so10. In the ancient
period, the politics that governed society were not as such a point of contention as they are
now a days. This doesn’t mean they didn’t have meaningful impacts. The entire Periclean
building programme of the 5th century can be accredited to Athenian Nationalism. The
subsequent Peloponnesian war can also be said to be a result of the same ideals.
Nationalism in the ancient period, unlike today, meant total political unity, and was often the
system under which society flourished. With almost all of the most significant historical sites,
and advances being build/discovered under a nationalistic regime. Emperors and Kings,
were the most common system of governance, and a single autocratic leader was often the
strongest, and thus most effective form of government. This is a time where the principles of
personal liberties weren’t even a concept, as such, there was little contention over the way
societies were run (with of course the exception of Republican Rome – which was
infamously weak, and thus replaced by emperors). There are of course minor exceptions,
but Nationalism in the BC period, meant strength, power and meant the most impressive
5
US History. 2017. Loyalists, Fence-sitters, and Patriots. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.ushistory.org/us/11b.asp. [Accessed 30 October 2017].
6
https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-makes-nation-what-contributes-nationalism-177673
7
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/nationalism
8
U.S. Department of Defense. 2017. Retrieved 20 October2017
9
"Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2015" (PDF). Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Retrieved 5 April2016.
10
Darwin, J., 2013. Nationalism and Imperialism, c.1880–1940.
Theo Roberts HI426

items were created. Nationalistic ideals led to the invention of the Aqueduct, of concrete,
sewage systems and heating. All these impressive advances were as a result of a unified
national effort, the likes of which could only be seen in nationalistic regimes.
On the other hand, nationalism in the modern period, has been far less beneficial to society
as a whole, as it led to wars, famines and general death. War in the ancient period was, in
many ways, an inevitability. In the modern period however, war can be avoided through
many means. Diplomatically, economically or internally, many wars simply never happen, as
a result of modern systems of governance. It is often attributed to Obama that his greatest
achievement were ‘the wars that didn’t happen’. Nationalism however, has a tendency to be
confrontational, and lead to conflict, and subsequently death. There is a strong argument for
the fact that the Eastern front of the Second World War was so brutal as a result of it being
more as a race war, between the Germanic peoples and the Slavs. These two countries
were both nationalistic, and as such led to the horrendous situation that was the eastern
front. It also explains the high amount of war crimes, committed by all units (rather than
mostly by groups such as the SS on the western front11). The western front was more of a
traditional European land struggle, and conflict between rival empires, and whilst it was
brutal, as all wars are, this one was in contrast, relatively civilised. With most POWs being
well treated, and surrenders being accepted. Through the lens of the Second World War, we
can understand that nationalism is often fuelled by a sense of low level racism, and when
two racially different countries face off, this can lead to brutality and death on a horrific scale.
The argument for the importance and influence of nationalism is often discussed, and there
is no set answer. The definition of nationalism is often hard to set accurate criteria for, as
such, what nationalism has done overall is in many ways, up for debate, furthermore, the
exact implications are also loose, as many of its major influences (e.g. world war 2, the
Russian revolution, etc.) can also be attributed to many other factors, and as such, the areas
that nationalism has had an impact, whilst far reaching, are not solely impacted by
nationalism. The cause of the Russian revolution for example, are deep rooted, beginning
arguably as early as 1825 with the fighting then, or in 1865 with the close of the Crimean
war1213, and the deep rooted change that caused. Whatever the decided start point of the
revolution. It is clear that nationalism alone is not the sole cause of the revolution. This is a
microcosm of the grander influence of nationalism, as whilst unlike other ideologies such as
communism, nationalism tends to shape events, rather than cause them. The most obvious
example of nationalism is often seen to be the Second World War. However, it was also
caused by land tensions, bitterness at the outcome of the First World War, and economic
competition. Nationalism and Nazi Germany’s desire for an empire and rapid expansion, was
only one part of it. The same can be said for almost every other belligerent country in the
war. Whatever way around it is put, it is impossible to deny that nationalism has had a huge
impact, especially so in the context of the 20th century, where, alongside communism, it was
one of the most dangerous and destructive ideologies of the time.
In conclusion, nationalism as a concept has existed since the dawn of civilisation, and a
deep rooted love of one’s own country is all but inevitable. These ideals are the threads that
bind mankind as a culture. It is therefore impossible to say nationalism was ever truly
‘created’. It is however possible to argue that the political ideology of nationalism grew
greatly in the 20th century, and developed into a far more refined system. Nationalism clearly
11
Evans, R. Lying About Hitler: History, Holocaust, and the David Irving Trial. 1st ed.
Cambridge page 148

12
Taylor & Francis., 1997. Myths and Nationhood. 1st ed. New York: Routledge.
13
R.S. Gilyrevsky (Гиляревский Р. С.), B.A. Starostin (Старостин Б. А.) "Foreign Names in
the Russian Text: A Handbook" (Иностранные имена и названия в русском тексте:
Справочник). 3rd edition. Moscow, Vysshaya Shkola, 1985.
Theo Roberts HI426

developed rather than was created. Its evolution can be accurately tracked, until its climax in
the mid-20th century with the warped version presented in Nazi Germany, soviet Russia, and
multiple other countries. Its influence has been timeless and long reaching. A belief in a
greater sense of purpose in service of one’s country pushes the populations if many nations
to achieve greatness, and therefore the impact of nationalism has been huge, as previously
highlighted, the likes of the Colosseum and the Pyramids of Giza are evidence of this.

Bibliography
Books
Erica, B., 2013. Nationalism: Intellectual Origins.
Scales, L., 2005. Power and the Nation in European History. 1st ed. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Buringh, Eltjo; van Zanden, Jan Luiten: "Charting the “Rise of the West”: Manuscripts and
Printed Books in Europe, A Long-Term Perspective from the Sixth through Eighteenth
Centuries", The Journal of Economic History, Vol. 69, No. 2 (2009), pp. 445 (417, table 2)
Theo Roberts HI426

Darwin, J., 2013. Nationalism and Imperialism, c.1880–1940.

Taylor & Francis., 1997. Myths and Nationhood. 1st ed. New York: Routledge.
R.S. Gilyrevsky (Гиляревский Р. С.), B.A. Starostin (Старостин Б. А.) "Foreign Names in
the Russian Text: A Handbook" (Иностранные имена и названия в русском тексте:
Справочник). 3rd edition. Moscow, Vysshaya Shkola, 1985.
Evans, R. Lying About Hitler: History, Holocaust, and the David Irving Trial. 1st ed.
Cambridge page 148

Websites
US History. 2017. Loyalists, Fence-sitters, and Patriots. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.ushistory.org/us/11b.asp. [Accessed 20 November 2017].

US History. 2017. Loyalists, Fence-sitters, and Patriots. [ONLINE] Available at:

http://www.ushistory.org/us/11b.asp. [Accessed 20 November 2017].

Nationalism: A deinition. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/nationalism

[Accessed 30 October 2017].

What makes Nations [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-makes-

nation-what-contributes-nationalism-177673 [Accessed 20 November 2017].

U.S. DOD (Dept. of Defense), 2017 Retrieved 20 November 2017