The French Revolution and Nationalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The French Revolution and Nationalism - Essay Example A force that is capable of rendering a national character to any uprising or event, nationalism is a phenomenon that permeates into the very core of a citizen’s life. It does so by giving the people of a country a common platform where they can meet, interact and bond. Subsequently, this leads to a rise in the national character as these people begin to identify with each other on the basis of a language, color, race or even suffering. Nationalism as a feature on any country’s historical or cultural climate rises to the fore as a result of threats. It is only when confronted with a threat, does a country – made up of its people and their collective sentiments – wake up and recognize their strengths. These in effect become the strength of the nation and nationalism is born. In this way, nationalism is defined, anew; every time there is suffering followed subsequently by an upheaval. As a result of this, nationalism can be called dynamic concept. This is owing to the fact that its elements change with the changing times and the reasons for upheavals. The only thing constant about nationalism is its power to bind people together as a nation and the fact that it rises to prominence only in the face of adversity. In modern times, nationalism has become a matter of celebrating everything that a nation takes pride in. This includes independence days, art, literature, music and various other symbols th at are a part of the national character as a whole – elements that remind nations of its past victories and present strengths. (Voltaire, 2005) The French Revolution and Nationalism The French Revolution was an upheaval that was marked by the formal birth of what we call nationalism. Spanning over a decade (1789 to 1799), this Revolution had a strong socio political dimension to it. The embodiment of nationalism in this revolution arose as a matter of its ability to define the elements that would support the construction of a democratic society free of feudal patterns. This was at the behest of the citizens from every quarter of the French society, who wanted to break free of the double standards that were being imposed on their way of life in the form of the Church's intervention