Nation States

National Identities

• Revolutions in transportation, manufacturing led to start of urbanization.
• Traditional World
  • Local identities
  • Local languages
  • Local customs
• A need for national identities as people from different communities started cohabiting ever growing number of cities.
• Italy unified as a pan Italian empire.
• Prussia unified by Bismarck as a german speaking nation, defeated France.
• National identities started emerging.
• Start of public schooling system in many European countries.

Global and local collisions

• As local communities interact with Europeans they either fight, adapt, or become part of the European forces.
• Rebellion in China.
  • A chinese christian converts starts a rebellion against emperor.
  • Europeans side with empre and eventually defeat the rebellion.
  • Leads to reforms in the empire.
• Britain invades new zealand, wars with Maori population.
• Siam adapts
  • Siamese king adapts to Western culture.
  • Manages to keep Siam independent.
• Indian mutiny in 1857
  • Indian army, which is Indian men and English officers, revolts.
  • They are joined by a host of princes.
  • The mutiny is defeated.
  • British India goes through a set of reforms.
  • East India company is abolished.
  • Britain starts employing Indians in a national service to rule over the subcontinent.
  • Indian army is the biggest European force which is mostly Indian men.
• Japan starts westernizing.
  • A new emperor, Meiji, takes over.
  • He is more open to western ideas.
  • Allied with western powers he defeats various rebels who wants to keep traditional values.
  • Japan starts seeing newspapers, universities.
• US Civil war
  • The values of south and north US conflict.
  • It is not just about slavery, but about traditional values, rights versus rights of a nation state.
  • South is defeated and slavery is abolished in US.

Rise of liberalism

• Slavery is abolished everywhere.
• Individual liberties are becoming more and more important.
• France goes through another revolution where power of the catholic church is challenged.
• Bismarck establishes German empire and has conflicts with catholic church.
• In Europe nation states are fighting with church over the control of public institutions, such as schools, courts.
• Russia abolishes serfdom bonded labour, which is a form of slavery.
• Idea of nation state becomes very important, constitutions are adopted by most states.
• Darwinism leads to racism, where everything thinks they are the most adapted, englightned race.

What is 19th century liberalism?

• Free trade - they are against state monopolies.
• They are against mob rule and powerful tyrants.
• Inviduals bond together to start cooperative societities, economic, social, political.
  • These societities provide socio-economic support to its members.
• Start of womens rights movements with publication of a book by John Stuart Mill.
• Separation of church and state, challenging state control over church.

It is easier for people to bond over things they hate, than things they love.

Enemies of liberalism

• Catholic church reorganizes, focusing on working class, social catholic church.
• Protectionism - some countries implement trade restrictions, which goes against free trade principles.
• Socialist
  • Branch of liberalism which is focused on rights of a group over individual liberties.
  • Marxism - which focuses on tangible benefits as a result of rights, such as better wages, working conditions.
• Big business - which is also being seen as a form of tyranny.
• Mass narratives - with rise of cheap popular press it is easy to spread ideas, mass narratives.
• New type of conservatism - nationalism
  • As nation state becomes the central power, who are its citizens?
  • National identities are discussed and become central debates.
  • Race, language all become important ways to assign identities.
  • Countries are now fighting to keep their national identities.
  • Free trade falls apart as they try to protect themselves.
  • National unity becomes more important than liberal values.
  • Jim Crow laws reestablishes slavery in US.
• Rise of racism
  • People are making up ideas by looking at skulls of various ethnic groups.