Those born after 1980 may take for granted the fact that the world is made up of about 200 nation-states, which appear to be more or less equal in terms of the legitimacy of their nationhood. However, history suggests that not all nation-states are created in quite the same way. According to Wimmer and Feinstein: "the global ascent of the nation-state over the pass 200 years was a discontinuous process, unfolding in various waves linked to the break-up of large empires.” By comparing the creation of nation states in the nineteenth century to those of the twentieth century, it is evident that, while the end result was the same, the means of creating nation states can be quite different. There are many factors and events which lead up to independence and nation-state creation, such as nationalist sentiment, revolution, war, treaties, and tensions between people and rulers.
Nation-states created in the nineteenth century are more akin to what Montserrat Guibernau defines as “nations”. Based on Guibernau’s definition, nations are groups of people conscious of forming a community, and they share a common past and culture. Conversely, in the process of creating a nation-state, a group hopes to develop the community after the fact. Nation-states may be the result of a treaty or consolidation of ethnic territories, meaning their histories can be fragmented and incongruent. The new nation-states of the nineteenth century, namely of France and the United States of America, are
The foundational principles of a nation state also known as national sovereignty is for a state to combine its political and cultural entity as one. Some of the characteristics of a nation state include the ability to enter into relations with other states of similar capacity. A nation state is responsible for promoting economic unity and a uniform administration to govern its citizens. The United States has acted to fulfill these responsibilities by providing a single entity to govern the nation as a whole. The United States is constantly working with other nations to help protect our
In the period of historical globalization, a lot of horrible events had happen and many people have suffered, also lost what they had such as land, culture, languages, family, freedom, and dignity. Like the Rwanda incidents, Apartheid Law in South Africa and the incidents in Residential Schools in Canada. Although those things had happened, they still survive and right now is rebuilding and moving forward to not let it happen again with the little help of NGOs. In my opinion, Contemporary society has done enough to respond to the legacies of historical globalization. Moving forward and start making a better future is the only answer for those horrible events from repeating itself.
How did the growth of nation-states in Europe differ from that in the rest of the world?
World Order is a necessity in modern day society, for if it did not exist we would be faced with international anarchy. A nation state acts individually, therefore meaning that it can either choose to embrace Human Rights and international laws, or ignore them.
During the 20th century different regions and countries of the extra European world –Japan, China, India, the Middle East and Latin America- have been invested by profound transformations, that in part went to aliment the tensions that later would have brought to the second world war, and in part determined the beginning of the process of decolonization .
This demonstrates that nationalism had a role in the change because each nation wanted to be the strongest and the most
After a long, exhausting, painful war for independence from Great Britain, the United States became its own nation, a nation of choice and rights, a nation of voice and strong opinion, a nation with freedom handed to humans by God. The birth of this glorious new state brought forth a new era of revolution throughout the world. Countries took America’s victory to heart, overthrowing their monarchial governments and establishing governments run by popular sovereignty. The existence of the United States, perhaps, led to the global fight for self-government.
America has been a world power for as long as anyone can remember. But how did it become what it is today? Through decades of racism and greed! Our country is one of the most racist country’s there has ever been! But without it America would be nothing like it is today. Slavery made America and racism made it grow. America has proven itself to be a selfish, greedy, and racist country.
On a European level, and to a degree on an international level it is argued that national states have experience a decrease of sovereignty. This is due to some political powers giving been
As a child develops into an adult there are critical developmental steps that are necessary for a complete and successful transition. The physical transition is the most obvious change, but underneath the thick skin and amongst the complex systems, exists another layer of transitions. Ideas, rationales, ideologies and beliefs all dwell within this layer of each being. It could be said that a nation can also fit this transitional framework. A nation grows in both size (wealth, population, power), and in ideological maturity (emancipation of slaves, civil rights, women’s rights…etc). This constant evolution of ideas and size is the foundation of a successful government. Without change and
We live in a world where modern states are the status quo. For the most part, no one questions who owns and rules a certain territory or population. This is because an all controlling and omnipresent “state” controls populations and sub-populations of people. This can be related to religious sects, hierarchies within communities, commonalities such as school and ethnicity, but most importantly – our allegiance to a country. January 2, 1997 at eleven twenty am, in a St. Louis hospital room, my first cries mimicked the star spangled banner, while my birth certificate became my first Pledge of Allegiance. Thus, The United States of America stole me from my mother’s bosom and has since spoon fed me patriotism and nationalism. While these extreme statements seem irrational, a nationalistic ideology forced upon citizens, has become the foundation to maintaining and developing the modern state. Although, this has not always been the case throughout history. Developed between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries, the modern state changed the properties of an effective rule, and thus played challenging roles within “late” developed states such as in India and Nigeria.
A nation is said to exist when it could traced its origins through the state, in which it associate itself with, histories. Additionally, the cultural elites must be established and well-versed in writing and speaking the national language. There must also be a valid reason for its claim on a certain territory. It is only when these three requirements are fulfilled will the international community consider their claim for a nation (Hobsbawm, 1990: 37). Disagreements, however, tend to arise in the political community over the definition of a nation. This essay will try to list out the different approaches employed in defining a nation starting from a nation being a natural cultural entity to it being politically and
The United Nations, with its rigid moral and political limitations against force, has become a benchmark of peace and a social achievement of modern times. From war torn Europe, the United Nations developed from five major powers with an initial goal to prevent the spread of warfare through peaceful means and to establish and maintain fundamental human rights. Through the past fifty years, this organization has broadened its horizons with auxiliary organizations from peace keeping missions to humanitarian aid, to economic development. However, in a modern example of ethnic cleansing, the UN faces new a new role as a bystander as its power is bypassed by NATO forces. The UN, however, promises to be an
All over the world, soldiers in the UN’s blue helmets or hats have risked their lives trying to stop wars. In 1988 they received one of the worlds highest honors, the Nobel Peace Prize. Canadians were proud, because their soldiers and aircrew had shared in almost every UN peacekeeping mission since 1948.
Why Nations Fail takes an in depth look into why some countries flourish and become rich powerful nations while other countries are left in or reduced to poverty. Throughout this book review I will discuss major arguments and theories used by the authors and how they directly impact international development, keeping in mind that nations are only as strong as their political and economical systems.