Question

In the nations such as Russia and Austria Hungary, how did nationalism become a divisive force rather than a unifying force?

Answer 1

Hint: Nationalism unites the people of the same language, ethnicity and culture and the nations such as Austria Hungary and Russia were a unification of a lot of smaller nations that had come under a single government over time.

Complete answer:
Since nationalism unites people of the same culture, it was used by the people in Russia and Austria Hungary to do the same. However, the Kingdom of Austria Hungary was composed of two different nations together with minimal things in common. They did not have anything in common and actually spoke different languages as well. So, Austrians and the Hungarians both started to keep their own interests over the kingdom’s interests and hence nationalism became a divisive force.

Similarly, the Russian federation or the erstwhile Union of Soviet socialist Republics was a federation of multiple nations out of which Russia was the largest. The federation had nations such as Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Estonia, Yugoslavia, etc. All such nations put their own identity above that of the USSR and hence they eventually got divisive to get a dividend and split in1991.

Note: The federations are of two types which are Holding Together and Coming Together Federations. India is a holding together federation whereas the United States of India is a coming together federation.