Why do you think Nationalism was such a driving force in Europe from 1806 to 1913?

Question

Why do you think Nationalism was such a driving force in Europe from 1806 to 1913?

Answer 1

actually it still exists,but to answer the question,people like to hang out with their own,certain countries enjoy different resorces,language barriers cause all sorts of problems,some people just like to think theyre better than others(Hitler,Moussilini). Old rivalries (we remember kicking your a55 1066 and we would like to do it again!)

Answer 2

When Napoleon's armies had swept all over Europe this had the effect of stimulating nationalism in the countries that they occupied. No where was this more so than in Spain during the Peninsula War where the Spanish wanted to be free of the French. Later in 1870, the German chancellor, Bismarck, used the Franco Prussian War to unite the German people against the French. This was Gereman unification.

If you look at a map of Europe of the period (1806-1913) you will see that most of central and eastern Euroope was made up of a lot fewer countries than today. There was the Austrian Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire and Poland. Most nationalities didn't have their own country. For instance the Czechs were part of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. They felt that they had no voice in their affairs. Their language and culture was suppressed in favor of German. Only about one third of the country was made up of German-speaking people. The other two thirds spoke various Slavic languages. The Greeks were part of the Ottoman Empire for hundreds of years before they rebelled in 1821. In 1848 there were a rash of revolutions throughout Europe that were mostly unsuccessful. But discontent continued to seeth beneath the surface. It all came to a head when the Austrian Archduke and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914 by a Serbian nationist. This started World War I. I hope that this has been a help to you.  

Answer 3

I believe one reason would be that there were rapid advances in industry and weaponry. Increased global trade made workers feel that they were working for the pride of their nation and competing with others, and seeking security through economic prowess. While new technology in weapons and warfare made people afraid of being conquered or caught in an uprising, and current events (wars and revolutions) made the threat seem like more of a reality, which led them to a need to feel protected by their armed forces, and led further to a sense of national pride and sacrifice for their countries' futures. It finally bubbled over and resulted in WWI.