Crash Course World History: Nationalism

Introduction

• Presenter: John Green
• Topic: Nationalism
• Importance: Key global phenomenon of the 19th century.
• Known for outdated globes.

Key Figures and Regions in Nationalism

• Europe:
  • Bismarck in Germany
  • Mazzini and Garibaldi in Italy
  • Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) in Turkey
• Other Regions:
  • Muhammad Ali in Egypt
  • Lincoln in the USA
• British Dominions:
  • Canada, Australia, and New Zealand became federated states (1860-1901)
• Balkans:
  • Greece gained independence in 1832
  • Christian principalities fought against the Ottomans in 1878
• India:
  • Indian National Congress founded in 1885
• China:
  • Nationalism opposed traditional dynastic rule

Nationalism Defined

• Nation-State:
  • Centralized government with authority over a territory
  • Linguistic and cultural homogeneity
• Diverse Views:
  • Organic process vs. government-constructed
  • Urbanization and industrialization as factors

Nation Formation

• Creation of bureaucracies
• Public education and national narratives
• Urbanization influence, e.g., Prague's population growth
• Nationalism as a force of unity and division

Conflicts and National Identity

• American Civil War: Shift from THESE United States to THE United States
• Multiethnic Empires:
  • Ottoman Empire fragmentation
  • Example: Egyptian nationalism under Muhammad Ali

Case Study: Japan

• Tokugawa Shogunate:
  • Stability over efficiency
  • Controlled by local lords (daimyo)
• Foreign Influence:
  • Opium Wars and Matthew Perry's arrival in 1853
• Meiji Restoration:
  • Abolished the shogunate in 1868
  • Built a modern nation-state
  • European-style government adopted

Nationalism in Japan

• Military and Education:
  • Conscription introduced in 1873
  • Compulsory education in 1872
• Modernization:
  • Tax systems, infrastructure, and currency
  • National borders expanded (Hokkaido, Okinawa)
• Colonial Ambitions:
  • Attempted invasion of Taiwan in 1874

Conclusion

• Nationalism's dual nature: modernization and conflict
• Upcoming topic: European imperialism
• Show credits and community interactions

Additional Notes

• History often whitewashed in education, e.g., Texas textbooks
• Nationalism involves a rejection of 'otherness' and can destabilize empires.
• Japan's transformation into a nation-state was part of a global trend of nationalism driven by both internal and external pressures.