West European Studies

Nationalism is defined as a collection of ideas, sentiments, cultures or social movements which portray patriotism for a certain country. Two great revolutions occurred in France and Germany. The French revolution begun in 1789 and lasted up to the start of the First World War. Therefore, nationalism is a political ideology which gains momentum as a result of improvement of modern technology. Historian Carlton Hayes classified the evolution of nationalism into five major stages humanitarian enlighten, romantic tradition, liberal unification, and integral chauvinistic.

                   Different schools of thoughts have emerged over the last century that explains the rise of European nationalism. Nationalism gained momentum after the French revolution in the18th century and was reinforced by the development of modern television journalism. Hayes further states that nationalism is not a single historical process but multiple occurrences which have helped shape the political culture. Nationalism can be summarized as a form of identity which originates from similar culture, history and mostly a common language. The French troops conquered Germany between 1970s and 1814 and created the initial rise German nationalism. As a result, Germany consolidated its middle sized states leading to the disbanding of the Roman Empire. However, an uprising in 1813 helped to drive napoleon out of Germany.

              To start with, the emergence of nationalism can be traced back to industrialization and modernization of France. Most suggestions compare France modernization to the rise of fascism in Germany. Nationalism is mostly based on progressive rather than reactionary ideology. The development of French nationalism can be traced back to the regime of napoleon lll. He modernized Paris and made it a city that the French people can proudly associate with. His development plans were further enhanced by the industrial revolution which gained momentum by mid century. He further directed France towards a liberal direction by increasing the influence of the French assembly. In the meantime, events occurring in France were being influenced by development in Germany. Despite the fact that Germany was still made up of 38 separate states, economic development was enhanced by the creation of a custom union called Zollverein.

                  Napoleon great influence and control over Germany assisted in the development of German nationalism. Germany was still at its initial stages of development characterized by a weak government and loose cultural bonding. The French sense of identity inspired the Germans to establish a solid political system as well as unifying their culture. Two forms of nationalism were evident during the 19th century. There was the conservative nationalism which occurred before the Napoleon era and it comprised of people who desired the return of old living standards. Liberal nationalism occurred after Napoleon started making reforms leading to creation of self governments and modern economies.

                  There are three concepts of nationalism that links the two countries. Liberal nationalism which emerged from France enabled the establishment of a liberal constitution and was important in emphasizing on citizen rights. Cultural nationalism implied that a countrys unity was more important than the right of a single individual. Lastly, economic nationalism was a major factor in ensuring economic growth and development through the removal of trade barriers. Economic growth in Germany which was influenced by industrial revolution led to establishment of textile and iron industries, coal production and growth of the railway line

              Nationalism also resulted to high population growth, expansion of middle working class and the advancement  of modern education. Moreover, modern military equipment and superior military organization were created as a result of nationalism.