The emergence of nationalism: a comparative study of the English and French experience

Abstract

England has long been an anomaly in the nationalism literature. On the other hand the French Revolution has stood as the event embodying the emergence of all nationalism. Not infrequently, writings on other revolutions or civil wars display the absence of objectivity. This thesis attempts both objectivity and a basic orientation towards nationalism by exploring the structural context of emerging nationalisms in two revolutions. Each case depicts a significantly different context in which emerging nationalism develops.

Next, I develop a test case drawn from the record of emerging Basque nationalism. This analysis draws out the consistency between the multiple characteristics of Basque nationalism and their structural orientations. The success of this test case helps in the refinement of our understanding of nationalism.