The Rise of Nation States
Context
State: Means country, in global geopolitical context
Functioning convernment
Citisens
Defined boarders
Currency
Speach Notes:
Voluntary Migration:
- Migration to another country to seek a better life or social environment.
Definition of Nation-State
Nation-State: A sovereign territory with a common history and ethnically
homogenous population.
True nation-state in academic sense does not exist today.
Most countries contain more than one national group.
Historical changes due to wars, invasions, and migrations; modern
changes due to voluntary immigration.
Homogenous: refers to something that is uniform in composition,
structure, or character throughout. It means that all the components of a
system or group are similar or consistent.
Japan: Use to be a Nation-State, but in modern days no longer
Nationalism
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Nationalism: Justification of political actions based on shared attachment to a
state.
Belief that every nation has a right to control EVERY PEICE OF THEIR
territory.
Often tied to land, and used as reason to start wars in some cases.
A nation should have its own sovereign state.
Nationalism claims a nation is incomplete without territory.
Used to justify conflicts over territory.
If a group of people has a shared sense of nationalism, they form a
“nation.”
Patrionism: Love country, but rational.
Nationalism: Love country no matter what.
Ultra-Nationalism: An extreme form of nationalism that goes beyond
advocating for the interests of one’s nation, E.G. Naci. VERY DANGEROUS
Example of Nationalism
Germany: Post-unification, adopted "Deutschland uber alles" (Germany above
all).
Dominated politics and foreign policy from 1871 to 1945.
Definition of Nation
Nation: Group of people seen as a unit based on shared cultural or historical
criteria.
Socially constructed, existence and definition can change.
Based on religion, ethnic identity, language, cultural practice.
Establishes insiders vs. outsiders.
May spill over into multiple states.
States vs. Nations
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Not every nation has a state (e.g., Kurds, Roma, Palestinians).
Some states contain multiple nations.
Example: Native American peoples in the US.
State not equal Nation.
Autonomous Region: Semi independent area within a larger political entity.
Stateless People
Groups without legal standing in any state.
Post-WWII Europe had millions of displaced, stateless people.
Modern examples: Rohingya in Myanmar, Kurds in Turkey, Syria, Iraq.
The Rise of the European Nation-State
1485: Tudor dynasty begins English nation-state development.
1492: Spain recovers from Muslim control; becomes a global power.
1547–1584: Ivan the Terrible creates the first Russian nation-state.
1638–1715: Louis XIV establishes absolute monarchy in France.
1648: Peace of Westphalia establishes legal status of nation-state as
sovereign.
1789: French Revolution creates modern French nation-state; sparks European
nationalism.
1871: Unifications of Italy and Germany.
1919: Treaty of Versailles ends WWI; breaks up multinational empires, creates
new nation-states.
The Thirty Years’ War and the Peace of Westphalia
Thirty Years’ War: 1618–1648, central Europe, Protestants vs. Catholics.
Involved many European nations.
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Peace of Westphalia: Sovereign ruler(King, local ruler) has power OVER
nation and state, including religion(Church).
Bans the church from governing.
First time.
Centralization
Law- and policymaking became centrally located in a SIGNLE GOVERNMENT.
Central government final authority.
Uniform laws and practices.
Facilitated economic development.
Stronger military due to national armies.
Different Types of Nation-States
Multinational State: No single ethnic group dominates.
Empire: Multiple countries/nations under a single monarch or government.
Federated States: Partially self-governing within a larger federation.
The Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration: Restoration of imperial rule in Japan in 1868.
Initiated by samurai fearing Japan's weakness compared to Western
powers.
Led to a modernized, expansion-minded Japan.
Japan posed a threat to Asian neighbors, conflicted with Russia and the
US.
The Rise of Japan as a Nation-State
Modernization and expansion during Meiji Restoration.
Japan's increased power and influence in Asia.
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