Who first raised the call of nationalism in the West?
One of the figures who helped accelerate nationalism was Napoleon. He seized power in France through a coup in 1799 and, driven by nationalist ideas and a belief in the French nation’s mission to save other nations, undertook extensive conquests between 1805 and 1812. His actions had two consequences:
1. He increased and strengthened the spirit of nationalism among the French people.
2. When the people of the countries invaded by France recognized that the deceptive slogans of the French were only beneficial to the French and held no advantage for them, they were influenced by nationalist sentiments and rose up against the French, leading to the spread of nationalist ideas across the European continent.
Since the standard-bearers of this thought have varied from century to century, we will introduce the founders and standard-bearers of nationalism in each century separately and in more detail:
Nationalism in the 16th Century
In the 16th century, Jean Bede, a French philosopher and contemporary of Henry Navarre, revived or invented nationalist thought. He supported nationalism, exclusive royal power, and a strong central government.
In its political and organizational form, nationalism emerged in the political and social atmosphere of most European countries after the Renaissance. This thought was bolstered by the Italian Niccolò Machiavelli and the French Jean Bede, growing further in the 18th century and reaching its peak in the 19th century. In the second half of the 18th century, the outbreak of the French Revolution— a rebellion against the old aristocracy— allowed this line of thinking to transcend the borders of France and spread throughout Europe. As a result, the people of other nations rose to defend their national identities against France. German philosopher Fichte advanced the thesis of the German nation as a real and indivisible unit. Following him, figures such as Charles Maurras and Bars formulated and organized nationalist ideas.
Nationalism in the 18th Century
The French and American revolutions are often considered the first manifestations of the new nationalism. In the 18th century, nationalism reached its peak; thus, this century is also referred to as the “century of nationalism,” during which many new nations emerged. Immediately after World War I, nationalism was further reinforced by the publication of the ideas of former U.S. President Wilson, who popularized the notion of “national independence” and included it in his proposed Fourteen Points for Peace.
In the late 18th century, movements claiming to be based on the will of the people began emerging almost simultaneously in two regions: the United States and France. In the United States, immigrants revolted against British rule in the north (1776-1783) and Spanish rule in the south (1820-1828). Interestingly, the Declaration of Independence, authored by Jefferson, states: “The people alone have the right to establish and organize their own government.” This declaration asserts that all power originates from the people themselves; therefore, the concept of popular sovereignty is present and ratified within it since 1776. In France, the famous revolutions of 1789 and 1848 are also considered significant sources for the growth of national identity and nationalism.
Nationalism in the 19th Century
The 19th century is regarded as the golden age of nationalism, as this phenomenon spread to all Western countries. Jefferson and Paine were critical in founding American nationalism. In England, Bentham and Gladstone brought English nationalism to its peak. In Italy, figures such as Garibaldi and Mazzini rose to prominence and became some of the foremost theorists of nationalism. Victor Hugo in France and Bismarck in Germany were also noteworthy standard-bearers of this movement. During this century, most European countries were influenced by nationalism, leading each nationality to create a separate state for itself.
The author of the book “Nationalism from the Perspective of Islam” concludes that “the beginning of the 19th century can be considered the official beginning of the school of nationalism.” Consequently, nationalism is referred to as the driving force behind developments in the 19th century, making this period known as the “Golden Age of Nationalism” or the “Age of Nation Building.”
In this century, German philosopher Georg Friedrich Hegel idealized the nation-state, advocating for nationality and the superiority of the German nation and race over others.
In Europe, the idea of nationalism spread, particularly through Napoleon’s conquests, becoming one of the main elements of 19th-century developments and a determining factor in the course of events.
Nationalism in the 20th Century
In the 20th century, nationalist sentiments among the non-autonomous peoples of Asia, Africa, and Latin America grew significantly.
During the 20th century, leaders like Hitler and Mussolini praised and supported nationalism to an extreme, their true intention being to impose internationalism forcibly, with visions of world conquest and the establishment of a singular world government under fascism.
Nationalism in the 20th century can be divided into two parts: 1. Nationalism in the first half; 2. Nationalism in the second half.
In the first half of the 20th century, particularly during World War II, nationalism surged in Europe and Japan, plunging the world into the turmoil of two catastrophic world wars. Nationalism compelled European, Western, and Japanese countries to pursue global domination, leading to the crises and tragedies of World War I and World War II. Most researchers agree that the inflamed sentiments of ethnicity and nationalism were the foremost motivations for both conflicts.
In the second half of the 20th century, signs of nationalism emerged in what is now known as the Third World.
In the last two centuries (the 19th and 20th), nationalism underwent significant developments. It spread from Europe and Western countries to Islamic nations, prompting Muslims to embrace and take pride in their ethnicities and national identities. In subsequent sections of this study, we will address the topic of “the spread of nationalism to Islamic countries.”
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