Explain the role and influence of nationalism on nineteenth-century culture

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Nationalism—the exaltation of the sovereign state—was one of the shaping forces of nineteenth-century culture. While the beginnings of the modern nation-state go back at least to the fourteenth century, nationalism, an ideology (or belief system) grounded in a people's sense of cultural and political unity, did not gain widespread acceptance until roughly 1815. The spread of nationalistic ideals was infectious, and one after another, European states, as well as some in Africa and in Latin America, rose up against foreign rulers. Love of nation and love of liberty became synonymous with the ideals of self-determination and political freedom. In its positive aspects, nationalism cultivated the revival and celebration of a common language, common customs, and a shared history, as expressed in poetry, music, and art. In its darker side, nationalism and patriotic chauvinism motivated policies of imperialism and ignited warfare, not only between nations, but also among the ethnic populations of various regions.