Nationalism in
European History
Explore how shared identity, culture, and political ambition reshaped the map of Europe from the French Revolution through World War I.
What Is Nationalism?
Nationalism is the belief that a people who share a common language, culture, ethnicity, or history should constitute an independent nation with its own sovereign state. It is both a unifying and divisive force: it can bring scattered peoples together or tear multi-ethnic empires apart.
Core Components of National Identity
Why Nationalism Matters
Between 1789 and 1914, nationalism was the most powerful political force in Europe. It drove revolutions, redrew borders, destroyed empires, and created entirely new states. Understanding nationalism is essential for explaining virtually every major event in 19th-century European history.
The Nationalism Framework
Civic vs. Ethnic Nationalism
| Civic Nationalism | Ethnic Nationalism | |
|---|---|---|
| Basis | Shared political values, citizenship | Shared blood, language, ethnicity |
| Membership | Voluntary: anyone can join | Inherited: you are born into it |
| Example | French Revolution ideals | German Romanticism (Volk) |
| Danger | Can mask inequalities | Can lead to exclusion and persecution |
Timeline: Rise of Nationalism
How to Analyze Nationalism on the AP Exam
Case Study: Italian Unification
Case Study: German Unification
Nationalism as Imperial Solvent
While nationalism built new states in Western Europe, it dissolved the multi-ethnic empires of the East. Subjected peoples demanded their own nations, weakening Ottoman, Habsburg, and Russian authority.
Nationalism and the Road to World War I
Nationalism Across Ideologies
| Ideology | Relationship to Nationalism | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Liberalism | Allied: self-determination as a right | 1848 Revolutions |
| Conservatism | Opposed, then co-opted it | Bismarck's Germany |
| Socialism | Hostile: \( \text{class} > \text{nation} \) | Marx's internationalism |
| Imperialism | Extension: "civilizing mission" | British Empire |
| Fascism | Extreme: ultra-nationalism + state | Mussolini's Italy |
Worked Example: Analyzing a Source
Common Mistakes
Summary: Nationalism at a Glance
| Concept | Definition | Key Example |
|---|---|---|
| Civic Nationalism | Identity based on shared political values | French Revolution |
| Ethnic Nationalism | Identity based on blood, language, culture | German Volk concept |
| Unification | Bringing scattered peoples into one state | Italy (1861), Germany (1871) |
| Separatism | Breaking away from a multi-ethnic empire | Greek independence (1829) |
| Irredentism | Claiming "unredeemed" lands with co-nationals | Italian claims on Trieste |
| Pan-movements | Uniting all speakers of a language/ethnicity | Pan-Slavism, Pan-Germanism |
Question 1 of 5
Which of the following best describes civic nationalism?
Question 2 of 5
Bismarck's approach to German unification is best characterized as:
Question 3 of 5
Speaker A: "The principle of nationality is the right of every people to govern themselves. Each nation, defined by its shared language and customs, deserves an independent state free from foreign domination."
Speaker B: "The stability of Europe depends on the great empires. Dividing them along lines of language and custom would produce dozens of weak, quarrelsome states and invite chaos."
Which political figure would be most likely to agree with Speaker B?
Question 4 of 5
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 is best understood as a consequence of:
Question 5 of 5
Which of the following is the most accurate statement about nationalism in the 19th century?