The Impact of Western Nationalisms

Nationalism lies at the core of the history of the twentieth century, as the most lasting world view of modern times. This volume provides a unique panoramic insight into the history, and contemporary experience, of modern nationalism. The contributors explore nationalism in its many faces. Key issues examined include the changing definitions of Western nationalism from the nineteenth-century conceptions of state development and patriotism through its increasing link with conservatism and chauvinism; the relation of nationalism to development and modernity, and its role in fundamentalist and isolationist reactions against the modern world; and its expression in the 'civic religion' of the state and the invention of tradition. Individual contributions analyse the tensions between nationalism and social ideologies transcending the boundaries of the nation state, from Marxism and international law to pan-Arabist sentiment. A recurrent focus is the issue of the 'Jewish Nation', its relation to Zionism, and the Holocaust as the climax to one trajectory of Western nationalism. Drawing on a wealth of examples from a broad geographical range, this book will be essential reading for scholars of contemporary history, political science, and the social theory of the modern state. The volume, the majority of which has appeared in the Journal of Contemporary History (Volume 26, Issue 3-4), is dedicated to Walter Laqueur in recognition of his unique contribution to the history of modern nationalism.