The Origins Of Nationalism: An Alternative History From Ancient Rome To Early Modern Germany

Preface......Page 11
1. Introduction......Page 15
1.1. Organism into artefact......Page 17
1.2. Fighting the modernist cause - a lost cause?......Page 21
1.3. Turning constructivism downside up......Page 23
1.4. The impact of Antiquity, or the power of anachronism......Page 27
1.5. Nationalism: promoter of historical scholarship?......Page 30
2. The modernist paradigm: strengths and weaknesses......Page 34
2.1. Nationalism without nationalists......Page 36
2.2. Strengths and shortcomings......Page 37
2.3. Fake communities by 'fake' constructivists......Page 40
2.4. Modernist myopia and the 'invention of tradition'......Page 43
3. Foundations of a new nationalism theory......Page 48
3.1. How to describe the nation?......Page 49
3.2. Equality and multipolarity......Page 52
3.3. The nation: a product of failed imperialisms......Page 54
3.4. Competing for honour and freedom......Page 58
3.5. Definitions......Page 61
4. Killing and dying for love: the common fatherland......Page 64
4.1. Cicero and the construction of the ideal patrio......Page 67
4.2. Ascetic love......Page 72
4.3. Patriotic distortions of politics......Page 74
4.4. Patriotism's smooth transition from republic to principate......Page 76
4.5. From earth to heaven and back: the Middle Ages......Page 78
4.6. A multitude of New Israels and New Romes......Page 80
4.7. Legal scholars: the King's patriotic citizens......Page 83
4.8. The downgrading of Empire and Papacy......Page 85
5. Competing for honour: the making of nations in late medieval Europe......Page 92
5.1. Corporative honour: 'nationes' at medieval universities......Page 93
5.2. From concrete to abstract communities: The 'nationes' at the Council of Constance......Page 95
5.3. The new dimensions of national honour......Page 102
5.4. National honour: symptom of an overheating economy of honour......Page 109
5.5. How to measure the standing of a nation?......Page 112
5.6. National honour: remedy for an overheating economy of honour......Page 115
6. The nationalist transformation of borders and languages......Page 118
6.1. 'Tongue' as political space......Page 120
6.2. 'Adam was a German'......Page 122
6.3. Purifying the German language (and the German people)......Page 124
6.4. The limited originality of Romantic nationalism......Page 130
7. Humanist nationalism......Page 133
7.1. Renaissance humanism - an innovative anachronism......Page 135
7.2. Barbarising the French or how Italian humanists successfully fought reality......Page 156
7.3. The Emperor's independent supporters: humanist nationalists in Germany......Page 166
7.4. The interdependence of nationalist isolation and assimilation......Page 170
7.5. Germany - the (yet-to-be) civilised nation......Page 173
7.6. Germany - the authentic nation......Page 181
8. A German Emperor for the German people......Page 194
8.1. The introduction of nationality as an election criterion......Page 196
8.2. The impact of popular xenophobia......Page 201
8.3. From German hero to Spanish invader - the transformation of Emperor Charles V......Page 203
9. Nation and denomination......Page 210
9.1. Martin Luther's German nation......Page 213
9.2. The authentic nation of Protestants vs. the civilised nation of Catholics......Page 220
9.3. The continuity of a non-confessional national discourse......Page 223
10. Conclusion......Page 226
10.1. Nationalism and confessional fundamentalism......Page 227
10.2. The modern legacy of the ancient learned politician......Page 229
10.3. Coda......Page 233
Primary Sources......Page 235
Secondary Sources......Page 240