Theories of Nationalism in History

obligatory courses

1. Introduction

I Some key concepts. (i) Liberalism, socialism, nationalism; (ii) Nationalism,

nation, ethnicity, race; (iii) Nationalism and religion: Protestants, Catholics,

Muslims, Jews: how do they frame the question?

II The emergence of Nationalism, 1772-1861. Conceptualising nationalism,

1861-1907: Mill, Acton, Renan, Meinecke.

III Central Europe: ‘Historic nations’ vs ‘Nonhistoric people’

Balkans: the advantages and disadvantages of early nation-building.

2. From Gumplowicz to War, 1882-1914.

Liberals, Socialists, nationalists: Gumplowicz, Renner (1899), Pilsudski (1902),

Dmowski (1902), Popovici (1906); Bauer (1907); Stalin (1913), Lenin, Hersch (1913),

Pytakov/Bucharin (1916).

3. The Triumph of the Nation-States, 1914-1923.

The Versailles Consensus and the Lausanne Consensus, 1919-1923. R. W. Seton-

Watson; F. Naumann (1916); Woodrow Wilson (1917-1918); the creation of the

Soviet Union.

4. Nation-States face political realities. Critical reflections on Nationalism

C J Hayes, C A Macartney, E H Carr/RIIA 1939). The Munich Consensus.

5. The Fog of War, 1939-1945 and the Potsdam Consensus, 1945-1991.

The Potsdam Consensus: J. Schechtman. Postwar reflections: H. Kohn, E. H.

Carr, Eugen Lemberg.

The Creation of the Socialist Federation of Yugoslav Republics, 1945-1974.

A Helsinki Consensus, 1975-1992?

6. The Golden Age of nationalism studies, 1961-1983:

E. Kedourie, M. Hroch, E. J. Hobsbawm, E. A. Gellner, B. Anderson, A D

Smith, J. A. Armstrong, J. Breuilly.

7. End of Empires? 1989-1999.

Soviet Dissolution and the rediscoveries of Empires.

Yugoslav Dissolution and the rediscovery of the Ethnic Cleansing.

Ethnic vs Civic Nationalism? Rediscovering Civil Society

Religious Fundamentalism, Populism.

8. Conclusions: An overview of the course. Discussion of papers.

Unit 1. Introduction to Nationalism

J. S. Mill, “On Nationality, as Connected with Representative Government” (1861); Lord

Acton, “Nationality” (1862); E. Renan, “What is a Nation?” (1882); F. Meinecke, “General

Remarks on the Nation, the Nation State, and Cosmopolitanism” (1907).

Unit 2: From Gumplowicz to War, 1882-1914

Extracts from Renner (1899), Pilsudski (1902), Dmowski (1902), Popovici (1906); Bauer

(1907); Stalin (1913), Lenin, Hersch (1913), Pytakov/Bucharin (1916).

Unit 3: The Triumph of the Nation-States, 1914-1923.

R. W. Seton-Watson, “The Issues of the War” (1914); F. Naumann, Central Europe

(Mitteleuropa) (1916); Woodrow Wilson (1917-1918); Terry Martin, “An Affirmative Action

Empire: the Soviet Union as the Highest Form of Imperialism” (2001); Gökalp (1923).

Unit 4: Nation-States face political realities, 1923-1938

C J Hayes, The Historical Evolution of Modern Nationalism (1931); C. A. Macartney,

National States and National Minorities (1934), Nationalism: a report by a study group

of members of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (1939).

Unit 5: The Fog of War, 1939-1945 and the Potsdam Consensus, 1945-1991.

J. B. Schechtman, “Population Transfers in Retrospect and Prospect” (1946); M. Mazower,

“The Strange Triumph of Human Rights, 1933-1950” (2004); H Kohn, The Idea of

Nationalism (1945), E. H. Carr, Nationalism and After (1946). Aleksa Djilas, “Federalism

and Yugoslavism, 1943-1953” (1991).

Unit 6: The Golden Age of nationalism studies, 1961-1983

Extracts from E. Kedourie, M. Hroch, Hobsbawm, E. A.Gellner, B. Anderson, A. D. Smith,

J. A. Armstrong, J. Breuilly.

Unit 7: End of Empire? 1989-1999.

J. A Hall, “Nationalisms: Classified and Explained” (1993); G Franzinetti, “The Timing of

Ethnic Conflicts” (1995); Ivan Vejevoda, “Yugoslavia 1945-91 -from Decentralization

Without Democracy to Dissolution” (1996); J. J. Linz and A. Stepan, “The Problem of

‘Stateness’ and Transitions: the USSR and Russia” (1996).

The Final Assessment will be based entirely on a 3,500 word (circa 7 pages) essay on

an agreed topic.

The final deadline will be 31 January, 2024.