Nationalism In The 1800s

The 1800s saw the rise of nationalism throughout Europe and it led to the unification of the Italian and German states. Nationalism continues to play a role in European politics in the modern world and is one of the most important developments of the 1800s. Although nationalism played an important role in Europe in the 1800s, its definition varied and this variation would inspire different causes. The differences in the definition of nationalism given by Giuseppe Mazzini and Ernest Renan significantly impacted their respective countries of Italy and France in different ways. Mazzini and Renan exploited their definitions of nationalism to achieve specific goals. Comparing and contrasting their definitions provides an understanding of how nationalism was viewed in the 1800s and the goals, which those definitions in turn inspired. A nation in broad terms is a group of people with a common cultural and social identity. …show more content…
Mazzini’s goal was to inspire the Italian people to fight for the unification of Italy. The various Italian states felt a sense of association among their peoples; however, the lack of a state left them nationless, in Mazzini’s view. By requiring a state to form a nation, Mazzini is attempting to inspire the Italian people to form a unified Italian state and become the nation they were meant to be. In addition, by invoking a sense of duty to the nation, he is implying that a failure to support the unification of the Italian nation makes a person unworthy of their natural rights. Natural rights are given by the state to the people in return for following their sense of duty to the nation; therefore the Italian people should support reunification to earn their rights. Mazzini’s attempts to inspire the Italian people were achieved through the Risorgimento and the unification of the Italian