French Revolution, The | The French Revolution Spurred a Greater Respect for the Nation-State

Prior to the mid-nineteenth century, several European nations, most notably Germany and Italy, were a loose group of kingdoms and territories that were not wholly unified. In the following viewpoint Conor Cruise O’Brien asserts that the French Revolution helped accelerate the growth of nationalism throughout nineteenth- and twentieth-century Europe, particularly in Germany. He acknowledges that nationalism existed prior to, and helped cause, the revolution, but argues that the French Revolution helped elevate love of the nation-state to a powerful political force. According to...

[The entire page is 2202 words long]

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass