The Rise of Nation-States

The Rise of Nation-States

Global History and Geography I Name: ___________________

E. Napp Date: ___________________

Feudalism was a political and military system based on the holding of land. In feudalism, many people shared the same language and customs but were loyal to different lords. People did not think of themselves as English, French, or Spanish. It was not until nationalism developed that people began to think of themselves that way. With feudalism, people are loyal to a lord or noble. With nationalism, people are loyal to their country or nation. Nationalism began in Europe in the eleventh century when England became a nation. France soon followed. People in these new nations shared the same geographic boundaries. In addition, people in these new nations shared the same language and history. They also shared the same traditions. The nation became part of who a person was. When someone asked “Who are you?” a person could answer: “I am English” or “I am French.”

Questions:

1: List three ways that feudalism differs from nationalism:

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2: When and why did nationalism become a powerful force in world history? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3: Does nationalism still influence people today? Explain your answer. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4: How can nationalism help and hurt people? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________

Absolute monarchs or kings and queens with complete power eventually destroyed the old feudal system and took complete control over their subjects. When control of a country or area comes from one individual, it is called centralization. A centralized government tends to be more stable. Law and order come from one place, decisions rest on one person or one group of people. The feudal system was decentralized because there were many small nobles in constant conflict with one another over land and power. Absolute monarchies were centralized because power came from one place: the monarch.

The absolutists did away with this fragmented system and seized absolute control of every aspect of life in their respective country or nation-state. Some prominent absolute monarchs include Elizabeth I of England, Philip II of Spain, Frederick the Great of Germany, Louis XIV of France, Peter the Great of Russia, and Catherine the Great of Russia.

Conflicts of varying degrees occurred between the authorities of the day. The rise of absolutists took power away from the Roman Catholic Church. During the Middle Ages, the Pope had been the strongest authority in Europe. Under absolutism, monarchs or kings challenged the Pope in political power, territory, and wealth. Subsequently, conflict arose between the Church and the monarchs. Also, the absolutists came into conflict with one another. When one monarch gained enough territory and wealth to threaten another, war would erupt.

Religion also played a role. After the Protestant Reformation succeeded, Absolutists used differences in religion as an excuse to invade other nation-states. For example, Louis XIV, the Sun King, engaged many nations simply because they were Protestant, and France was Catholic. He gained huge amounts of territory and wealth because of it.

Questions:

1: What is the difference between a centralized government and a decentralized government? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2: How did absolute monarchs change life in Europe? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nationalism in Europe can be traced back to the decline of feudalism and the beginning of the Renaissance. Feudalistic societies are decentralized; meaning political control is spread out and does not come from one strong, stable place.

When feudalism declined, larger areas of land were being controlled by fewer, more powerful individuals. A good example of nationalism supporting the rise of a single person is the case of Elizabeth I (shown here) and the nation-state of England. England had previously played a role in the Protestant Reformation when Henry VIII broke away from the Roman Catholic Church to form his own Church of England.

The Church, during the days of feudalism, was the one unifying factor for European people. When the power of the Church declined or receded during the Renaissance, people became aware of similarities and interests beyond religion. Elizabeth I was seen as a symbol of English pride. England became a nation-state governing itself, not a disjointed group of feudal states paying homage to the Catholic Church centered in far-away Italy. Nation-states with strong individual rulers became predominant in Europe. Rulers such as Louis XIV in France governed large nations with absolute power. European people, in general, no longer saw themselves individually as (for example) Bavarian, Bohemian, or Prussian, they saw themselves as German.

Questions:

1: What happened in England that led to its rise as a nation-state? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2: Why did the Roman Catholic Church lose power with the rise of nation-states? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3: How did people’s attitudes and values change with the rise of nation-states? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“A country is not merely a geographic territory. A country is also the idea given birth by the geographic territory. A country is a sense of love that unites, as one, all the sons and daughters of that geographic territory…”

--World History: A Story of Progress

This quotation supports the idea of

1. totalitarian rule

2. absolute monarchy

3. mercantilism

4. nationalism

Which quotation best reflects a feeling of nationalism?

1. “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”

2. “A person’s greatest social obligation is loyalty to the family”

3. “For God, King, and Country”

4. “Opposition to evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good”

Nationalism is most likely to develop in an area that has

1. land suited to agriculture

2. adequate industry to supply consumer demands

3. a moderate climate with rivers for irrigation

4. common customs, language, and history

Nationalism is best defined as

1. the achievement of world peace and global understanding

2. the desire to take over other societies by force

3. a method of solving basic economic problems of the society

4. the loyalty of a people to their values, traditions, and a geographic region

The best example of the success of nationalism in Europe is the

1. development of socialism in France

2. Industrial Revolution in Great Britain

3. establishment of the Common Market

4. unification of Germany

Nationalism is _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________