Cultural Nationhood and Political Statehood : The Birth of Self-Determination

__Cultural Nationhood and Political Statehood__ explores the development of the idea that every nation – most commonly understood as a linguistic community – is entitled to its own state. Following several contemporary studies of nationalism, this book provides a critical examination of the peculiarly modern concurrence of cultural nations and political states as it developed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The author argues that this is one of the most fateful coincidences of modernity: so firmly engraved in today's consciousness that most scholars and policymakers assume the correlation of cultural nationhood and political statehood to be intellectually unproblematic, yet the consequences have been overwhelming. The conflation of cultural nation and political state has imposed an isomorphism of language, culture, and politics upon the world. It has pre-determined democratic practice by enforcing the doctrine that the will of __the__ people can only be the will of __a__ people. It has led to the assumption that every nation may become a state. The book’s originality lies in tracing the genesis and the elaboration over time of this curious contemporary assumption. This thought-provoking book offers an unconventional perspective on the development of nationalism and world history. It will be relevant for upper-level students, scholars, and researchers of European history, nationalism, and self-determination. "Cultural Nationhood and Political Statehood explores the development of the idea that every nation-most commonly understood as a linguistic community-is entitled to its own state. Following several contemporary studies of nationalism, this book provides a critical examination of the peculiarly modern concurrence of cultural nations and political states as it developed in the 19th and 20th centuries. The author argues that this is one of the most fateful coincidences of modernity: so firmly engraved in today's consciousness that most scholars and policymakers assume the correlation of cultural nationhood and political statehood to be intellectually unproblematic, yet the consequences have been overwhelming. The conflation of cultural nation and political state has imposed an isomorphism of language, culture, and politics upon the world. It has pre-determined democratic practice by enforcing the doctrine that the will of the people can only be the will of a people. It has led to the assumption that every nation may become a state. The book's originality lies in tracing the genesis and the elaboration over time of this curious contemporary assumption. This thought-provoking book offers an unconventional perspective on the development of nationalism and world history. It will be relevant for upper-level students, scholars, and researchers of European history, nationalism, and self-determination"-- Provided by publisher Cultural Nationhood and Political Statehood explores the development of the idea that every nation—most commonly understood as a linguistic community—is entitled to its own state. Cover 1 Endorsement 2 Half Title 4 Series Page 5 Title Page 6 Copyright Page 7 Table of Contents 8 Acknowledgements 9 Chapter 1 Must Nations Become States? 10 Chapter 2 Nationalism and the French Revolution 23 Chapter 3 Ideological Currents 1815–1830 31 Chapter 4 Czartoryski and the Case for Polish Statehood 41 Chapter 5 Mazzini and the Italian Road to Universal Nationhood 50 Chapter 6 The Principle of Nationality 55 Chapter 7 Germany 62 Chapter 8 The Principle of Nationality, Again 71 Chapter 9 From the Principle of Nationality to Self-Determination 79 Chapter 10 Czechoslovakia 86 Chapter 11 Nations and States since 1945 92 Chapter 12 Conclusion: An Issue Unresolved 99 Bibliography 106 Index 118 Nationalism;,Revolution;,Ideology;,Statehood;,Nationhood;,Experience;,Humanity;,Independent;,Language;,Conscious Nationalism,Revolution,Ideology,Statehood,Nationhood,Experience,Humanity,Independent,Language,Conscious