What is a Nation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is a Nation - Essay Example People intending to become a nation have to consent to a government that will lead them. This research describes the meaning of a common past and historical experience, that the Europeans shared. And that was particulary what brought the idea of a national sensibility for people across Central Europe. A nation can therefore be defined as one comprising of people who have made a lot of sacrifices and are willing to make more of them in future just to see that they can chose who leads them. This essay focuses on the history of Europeans in the 19th century. Mainly because in the nineteenth century, Europeans used ideologies that united them, such as nationalism. According to Hunt, many of them, especially liberals and nationalists, wanted independence from the rule of old monarchies and form their own nations. With the ideology of nationalism, they were able to fight for what they wanted and therefore, they got to share a rich history together because of their solidarity towards a common cause. Researcher Hunt stated, that people who believed in nationalism used the notion of consent to start significant political disruptions that troubled the foundations of European monarchies. For instance, the French united in nationalism as they engaged in their revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. Many nationalist leaders lost their lives and this only strengthened the will of the people to unite. This gave the people a history which bound them to one cause of creating their own nation. Nations such as Italy, Turkey, France, Russia and Germany are mentioned in this essay.