The Spread Of Nationalism Weakened Empires In The 19th Century

Dale Hsu
Mr. Walker
Social Study 9DEFG
21 April 2015
19th Century Nationalism Weakened Empires
Nationalism spread and prevailed throughout Europe beginning in the 19th century. Nationalism is a desire for political independence under the leadership of people with the same nationality. The French Revolution that happened in late 18th century promoted a sense of nationalism and patriotism. It promoted individual citizenship of the French people and helped spread nationalism across Europe. During this period of time, the idea that empires were held together by religious dedication or dynasties faced decline. From the Enlightenment, new intellectual ideas of promoting nationhood also helped to wake nationalism in Europe. Many empires in Europe
Serbs had experienced inferior status and economic pressure under the Ottomans’ rule. The spread of nationalism had increased their sense of national identity and the remembrance of their glorious history. This encouraged their opposition towards Ottomans’ rules, the Serbian Revolution. The First Serbian Uprising gained the Serbs a decade of freedom and independent government but the uprising was eventually crushed by the Ottomans. Having enjoyed political freedom and patriotism, the Serbs rebelled again. The Second Serbian Uprising drove the Ottomans out of Serbian territories. Serbia expanded their lands into the territory of Ottoman Empire. Losing the wars, Ottomans granted Serbian Principality that eventually led to the formal independence of Serbia in 1878. In both Serbia and Greece, their revolutions were sparked by the spread of nationalism and had caused significant wear and damage to the Ottoman Empire’s military through the long course of warfare. This had drastically weakened the power and status of the Ottoman Empire decreased their territories. Nationalism made the Ottoman Empire entered the stage of decline that would eventually lead to their
With the help of Millet System, nationalism grew within ethnic groups, helped to bring up the sense of national identity, and stirred nations into separating from the Ottoman Empire. The Austrian Empire was broken into Austro-Hungarian Empire under the pressure and damage brought forth by the unification of Italy and Prussia, which derived from the spread of nationalism. Nationalism helped to dissolve Russia by introducing national identity to the ethnic groups and disrupt the process of Russification. Nationalism had spurred the romantic culture of the sense of belongingness and loyalty to one’s nation among the many ethnic groups within the empires of the 19th century Europe. Nationalism significantly weakened some of the largest empires of its time, and slowly led Europe out of the period of empire into the modern world today. Work Cited
Carter, Jerome. “The Fall of the Austro Hungarian Empire.” Humanities 360. Humanities 360, 27 Sep. 2012. Web. 28 Sep. 2014.
“Evolution of Nationalism in 19th century Europe.” Thoughts on History and Current Affairs. Thoughts on History and Current Affairs, 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 11 Oct. 2014.
Firas, Alkhateeb. “The Decline of the Ottoman Empire: Part 3 Nationalism.” Lost Islamic History. Alkhateeb Firas, 24 Oct. Web. 27 Sep.