Theories of Nationalism in History 3620-MGR1-WG-TNH
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.
Type of course
Course coordinators
Assessment criteria
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.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: