Suchergebnisse

In much of the already vast and expanding literature on nationalism there is an understandable emphasis on its political dimensions. It is generally seen as the ideological mobilization of an essentially cultural national identity—which may or may not be considered pre-existing—for the purposes of attaining sovereign state power, or in some other way influencing and affecting state power, for example attaining greater rights or autonomy within the state. Where there are no such demands directed at the state, such an understanding implies that either we are not dealing with a nation, or we are dealing with one that is still unconscious of its nationhood or that is satisfied without any political expression of that nationhood. None of these cases, in any event, would normally be considered examples of nationalism, since nationalism by definition must demand, indeed is the demand for such state expression or recognition of nationality. As John Breuilly puts it: nationalism is "above and beyond all else, about politics, and … politics is about power."

The complex nature of different kinds of nationalism is discussed, focusing on the nationalism of the Sudenten Germans after 1918 & in the context of the failing Habsburg Monarchy concomitant with WWI. It is argued that Sudenten German nationalism swung back & forth between classic nationalistic secession demands & culturally based, moderate identifications with German Bohemian identity. The history of Bohemian Germans is reviewed, looking at how German identity in this region was formed & how Bohemians' national, regional, & state identities were separate from each other. The impact of WWI is addressed, as is the resulting nationalism of the Bohemians who found a solely German national identity limiting. It is contended that the Sudenten German case illustrates differences that need to be acknowledged between nationalism & national identity or consciousness. D. Weibel.