NS4023 State, Nation, and Nationalism in Europe, 1500-1945

An advanced seminar on the evolution of the state, nation, and nation-state in western, central and eastern Europe from the seventeenth century until the middle of the twentieth. Special emphasis falls on the rise of national ideas in the eighteenth century, case studies of nation building and the propagation of nationalism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as the transformation of nationalism into a force of total war and genocide in the twentieth century. An analysis of the common readings as well as an independent research project is required. Prerequisites: None.

Lecture Hours

4

Lab Hours

0

Course Learning Outcomes

• Assess the connections and divergences among such concepts as state, nation, and nationalism.
• Evaluate the relationship of state and nation to civil liberties and human rights, as well as to illiberal regimes in Europe and the west since 1500.
• Analyze ramifications of regionalism and supranationalism in and for the nations and states of Europe.
• Synthesize the relevant theoretical knowledge to advance and critique ideas about the future of the state, the nation, and nationalism.
• Create current knowledge of cultural and social manifestations of nationalism and national identity and their implications in state and regional politics and diplomacy.