European Nations

by Miroslav Hroch, Karolina Graham (Translator)

In the history of modern political thought, no other topic has attracted as much attention as nationalism, nation formation and patriotism. Because of the ever-growing body of literature tackling these vexed issues, level-headed clarification has been long overdue.

Shunning attempts to spin off yet another theory of nationalism, Miroslav Hroch offers a remarkable synthesis that aims to track the historical genesis of European nations through the sundry paths of the nation-forming processes in the 19th century, integrating apparently competing frameworks into a coherent system.

Combining a comparative perspective on nation-formation with invaluable theoretical insights, European Nations is a must-read for everyone who wants to understand the historical roots of Europe's current political crisis.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2015

About the author

Miroslav Hroch (* 1932) přednášel v letech 1956-2011 evropské dějiny novověku na Filosofické Fakultě a Fakultě humanitních studií Univerzity Karlovy. V roce 1994 založil na FF UK Seminář obecných a komparativních dějin. Soustředil se na problematiku vztahu obchodu a politiky, na dějiny revolucí, výklad utváření moderních evropských národů, úlohu historického vědomí. Publikoval řadu knižních monografií a syntéz, z nichž sedm bylo vydáno v zahraničí. Jeho odborné stati byly publikovány ve většině evropských zemí. Obdržel čestné doktoráty tří evropských univerzit. K jeho nejvýznamnějším publikacím patří: Buržoazní revoluce v Evropě (1981), Metody historikovy práce (1983), Social preconditions of national revival in Europe (1985), Evropská národní hnutí v 19. století (1986), Na prahu národní existence (1999), Pohledy na národ a nacionalismus (2003), Comparative studies in modern european history (2007) a Národy nejsou dílem náhody (německy 2005, česky 2009, anglicky 2015). V roce 2024 vydal knihu vzpomínek Jak jsem to tenkrát viděl

Reviews

[Audrius Slanina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Ramzey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book but I recommend Gary Fields book enclosure.

[Ugnius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative synthesis to get a picture of how the most of europian nations formed in XIX-XX century. But it is analitical and boring.

[Domhnall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A useful book in its way but very dry because it is so totally abstract. It will come into its own as a reference. Its significance only really emerges when considered in the context of a specific debate of importance to the participants. Say for example (since I am Irish) one wished to debate the case for Irish unification, as against the case for its remaining part of the United Kingdom. Is it really sufficient to point to the geographical unity of the island? What aspects of its history really demonstrate that unification or division is the just policy? How valid is ethnicity as a factor and what status does that permit to the Ulster Protestant? Ideas that are presented as clinching the argument one way or another are put under the microscope in this book and comparisons are made for examples around the continent, which may lead in one direction or quite another. It is not even sufficient (or valid) to declare that the nation state, as a modern invention, has no validity. After all, that was the position of the imperialists (Ottoman, Habsburg, British) and it is not self evident that they were either right or wrong. There is a lot to ponder. So it is applicable and important, but even so, it remains abstract and dry as it stands within these pages, until it can be put to some use.

[Michael Macdonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent summary of the emergence of national identity that explains this complex and vital force