Question

“The first clear expression of nationalism came with the ‘French Revolution’ in 1789”. Examine the statement.

Answer 1

Hint: The French Revolution led to a change in politics and the constitution of France. The nationalism got a boost when people in masses got united to overthrow the anarchic rule of the French monastery.

Complete answer: The French Revolution helped to state the idea of nationalism as it encouraged the idea that people owned the country, and they were an important part of the state. Thus, the revolutionaries overthrew the monarch and brought substantial changes in society.
The features of post-revolutionary France in the background of nationalism are that firstly, the idea of the fatherland and citizen was created to convince the community that had equal rights under the constitution. Then the royalty was superseded with a new French flag which is the tricolour. The Estates-General was elected by a body of active citizens and was named as the National Assembly. New hymns and songs were composed as well as oaths were taken. The Martyrs were also honoured.
Apart from the above, a centralized system for administration was created which helped to design uniform laws for all its citizens. The customs duties were repealed as well as a uniform system of weights and measures was created. The French language was encouraged as the common language of the nation.

Note: After the success of the French Revolution, in Europe the idea of nationalism spread to other parts and the rest of the colonial parts of the world. The writers, revolutionaries, women and children had played a very important role to spread the word of nationalism. Thus, it would be safe to say that the French Revolution of 1789 was the first clear expression of nationalism.