The French Revolution and Nationalism - Essay Example

The French Revolution and Nationalism Nationalism is a sentiment that has captured the collective imagination scholars, philosophers and colonial powers for centuries. This sentiment has been echoed by the common masses on occasions where there has been an impetus to rise against a threat to their sense of national identity. The past two centuries have been the most important in the history of the world as far as nationalism is concerned. This is due to the fact that this period has been dotted by revolutions that have defined, conceptualised, and redefined the very basis of nationalism and its allied elements. (Levi, 1995) This paper will deal with the fact that the French Revolution changed the face of nationalism. It will also focus on the perception of nationalism before and after the French revolution in a bid to demonstrate how it transformed the relationship between the state and nationalism. This will be done primarily through the use of three texts. The first of these is the fictitious tale that represents a utopian society titled Candide by Voltaire. The second one is Primo Levi's ode to the conception of nationalism as a law of survival, in the story of an Italian boy in a Polish concentration camp, titled Survival in Auschwitz. The third volume is titled The Communist Manifesto. Authored by the revolutionary Karl Marx, this work has been chosen as a part of the analysis for this paper due to the fact that during the rise of nationalism, this was a body of knowledge that rose to prominence simultaneously. In any analysis it is important to have a contemporary against which to study and measure the area being studied, so as to form a more effective interpretation of the period and the findings that emanate thereof. Nationalism To begin with, it is imperative to define nationalism. A force that is capable of rendering a national character to any uprising or event, nationalism is a phenomenon that permeates into the very core of a citizen's life. It does so by giving the people of a country a common platform where they can meet, interact and bond. Subsequently, this leads to a rise in the national character as these people begin to identify with each other on the basis of a language, colour, race or even suffering. (Levi, 1995) Nationalism as a feature on any country's historical or cultural climate rises to the fore as a result of threats. It is only when confronted with a threat, does a country - made up of its people and their collective sentiments - wake up and recognise their strengths. These in effect become the strength of the nation and nationalism is born. In this way, nationalism is defined, anew; every time there is suffering followed subsequently by an upheaval. (Levi, 1995) As a result of this, nationalism can be called dynamic concept. This is owing to the fact that its elements change with the changing times and the reasons for upheavals. The only thing constant about nationalism is its power to bind people together as a nation and the fact that it rises to prominence only in the face of adversity. In modern times, nationalism has become a matter of celebrating everything that a nation takes pride in. This includes independence days, art, literature, music and various other symbols that are a part of the national character as a whole - elements that remind nations of its past victories and present strengths. (Voltaire, 2005) The French Revolution and Nationalism The French Revolution was an upheaval that was marked by the formal birth of what we call nationalism. Spanning over a decade (1789 to 1799), this Revolution had a strong socio political dimension to it. The embodiment of nationalism in this revolution arose as a matter of its ability to define the elements that would support the construction of a democratic society free of feudal patterns. This was at the behest of the citizens from every quarter of the French society, who wanted to break free of the double standards that were being imposed on their way of life in the form of the Church's intervention and the dictatorship of the aristocratic class. The revolution was an eye opener for the rest of world as regards rights and duties that must be equally distributed among the citizens of a nation irrespective of religion or socio economic standing. This in itself was a new definition of nationalism, where earlier the same concept had been seen as a word that was used to describe the national character through its history and artistic work. By virtue of being a social movement, the French Revolution contributed greatly to the formation of a systematic body of knowledge known as nationalism. This is owing to the fact that a social movement is one that is punctuated with a highly idealistic environment with realistic parameters that set the stage for immediate results and emergence of future trends that will go onto dominate the structure and functioning of that particular society for generations to come. Issues like principles, revolutionary change and personal strength and a search for identity of a group of people or society, are synonymous with social movements. These issues form the very basis of nationalism. For the measurement of success of any social movement, factors like skilful organisation, optimum use of resources and the identification of opportunities, are vital indicators. In this case, the very character of the French Revolution was one filled with elements of a national stirring. This is due to the fact that the French Revolution saw everyone from a peasant to the extremely well heeled, taking up for the country. In this way, nationalism became a living, breathing part of the Frenchman's everyday life. Nationalism was redefined to mean a struggle against everything that did not contribute to the basic national identity of the nation as a whole - in this case, the free spirited French means of expression. Art and Literature has always been a strong medium to convey the ideas that are contained in social movement. This is especially true of the French Revolution considering the fact that the French as a people are apt at expressing themselves through artistic media. This includes literary work and art. In doing so, the character of nationalism became a part of one's everyday life and was used as a weapon through which one could express himself or herself for the benefit of the nation. Since the French Revolution, the use of the print media, art and literature have had a prominent role to play in delivering national sentiments and bringing a nation to embrace nationalism in a bid to oust the threat facing it. In his book, Survival in Auschwitz , author Primo Levi demonstrates the advantages of organising one's plan of action as well as the course taken towards achievement of goals with concerted efforts diverted towards coordinated action. This is especially true of the rise of nationalism after the French revolution. This revolution showed Europe and the rest of the world, the ways and means in which entire societies could be organised to form an identity that would define the entire nation, and then implement the elements of this identity in their everyday lives, with the available resources like art, literature and movements. While this was the first step in a concerted action plan, the second step was to achieve a victory in order to bring the government to take a stand against racial discrimination besides serving as an example for the aristocratic class. This example took the shape of nationalism and went to become a top priority on the agenda of every country willing to fight for a cause. This was also of special importance to communism and Karl Marx, who took it up as a challenge to define communism as a constantly changing means of expression within the society. The French Revolution showed writers and thinkers like Karl Marx to undertake a more positive, yet people intensive approach to problems facing the structuring of nations. (Marx et al, 2002) This confrontation between a well developed body of knowledge in the form of nationalism and the power that threatens to come down on it heavily, as it did during the French revolution, is marked by an organised integration of short tem and long range objectives. A systematically planned strategy brought it to a stage where it became a mass movement, therefore proving that organisation and timely mobilisation of resources helps gain and maintain momentum. (Marx et al, 2002) The internal problems were sorted out in order to reach the best strategy, therefore eradicating conflicting goals. This integration of goals and eradication of conflict was another benchmark in the rapidly increasing body of knowledge known as nationalism, which was yet to be thus organised anywhere else in the world. The very increase of national sentiments were traced through a study of the movement as seen from the eyes of the masses and the economically privileged alike to find that the pressures were build up systematically by the planners of the movement and the societal boundaries in particular. (Levi, 1995) Talking about the legitimacy of having any norms at all in social movement, nationalism argues that sometimes the distinction between normative and non normative forms of expression in the course of such movements is stretched too far. This is in context of "normal" assertations of collective interest. This form of normal assertation was another element of nationalism that came out after the French Revolution. This is a thought process propounded by Voltaire in his almost fairy tale like volume titled Candide. This volume is an expression of a free world - one free of any discrimination in terms of resources and people. In his utopian ideals, the author has managed to bring out the concept of nationalism through his characters. According to the author, such sentiments are a part of the national consciousness - they simply need a sense of affiliation to make their presence felt. (Voltaire, 2005) In this way, the French Revolution managed to tap into the national conscience and bring out the common sufferings and problems that defined it national climate. There was an impetus among the people to take matters into their won hands and change this climate for the better. This was something new and it defined nationalism in a whole new light. (Levi, 1995) The Relationship between the State and Nationalism In any nationalist movement, the relationship between the movement and the state machinery is guided by the reasons for upheaval. In the case of the French revolution, there was a new dimension added to the role of the state in context of social movements. (Voltaire, 2005) This social movement was one that required widespread use of the state machinery in order to garner maximum benefit. This would result in the appropriation of rights and duties that in turn, would regulate the organisation and operation of the state and its machinery. Owing to the French Revolution, the 18th century saw a transformation of sorts in the relationship between the state and nationalism. From the 18th century onwards, the state became a tool within which the needs of the people were defined and designed. This led to the beginning of the concept of public policy. The operational sphere of the state thus became an agenda that was regulated by the people living within it. There was a new form of interdependence which helped the state redefine its boundaries so as to assess it reach as far as the people were concerned. In this way, it may be asserted that the state was more affected by the concept of nationalism from the 18th century onwards. There was a greater impetus to understand the people thriving within it. In this, nationalism itself became a living, breathing feature of the state's functions instead of a mere term in the dictionary. (Levi, 1995) Emerging trends in Nationalism Following the "Age of Enlightenment" as it is known throughout Europe and America, the collective philosophies in these two continents were shaped during the 18th century. These philosophies were followed throughout the world with variations as were required depending on the situation at hand. (Marx et al, 2002) In conclusion, it would be imperative to point out the fact that nationalism is a concept that is changing with each passing day. This is due to the fact that issues like globalisation and shrinking boundaries have caught the imagination of people. Having set themselves free was merely the first step in defining and implementing nationalism. The next step lies in finding ways and means of living with each other in harmony. The ways in which nationalism has changed can be seen towards the beginning of the nineteenth century and throughout the twentieth century. The very character of nationalism has taken a more peaceful tone owing to the fact that there is no a focus on defining people as the country and not the country as its boundaries. With the advent of communication and information technology, there has been an increased focus on celebrating and sharing national spirit. Nationalism now depicts respect for boundaries and cultures. Therefore, the spirit of nationalism remains respect -whether it involves gaining or giving. The difference is in perspective. With changing times, the perspectives on nationalism have undergone a sea change in order to accommodate new schools of thought and innovations in leadership and democracy. References: 1. Marx, Karl; Engels, Friedrich; Jones, Gareth S (2002). The Communist Manifesto. Penguin Classics. 2. Voltaire (2005). Candide. Pocket Books. 3. Levi, Primo (1995) Survival in Auschwitz. Touchstone Book. Read More