Reading, Writing and Seeing History

1. Reading, Writing and Seeing History History and the Nation

2. ‘The modern [study of] history was born in the nineteenth century, conceived and developed as an instrument of European nationalism. As a tool of nationalist ideology, the history of Europe’s nations was a great success, but it has turned our understanding of the past into a toxic waste dump, filled with the poison of ethnic nationalism, and the poison has seeped deep into popular consciousness.’ • Patrick J. Geary, The Myth of Nations, 2003, p. 15

3. History, the nation and popular culture • Historians in the media often engaged in telling national stories • Sir Walter Scott, Dickins, The Tudors • Popular history often highlights part of national experience (e.g. Elizabeth I; World Wars) • So how did the links between history and nation develop…?

4. The origins This lecture is about the politics of history… • Nationalist history contrasts with Ranke’s historicist desire for detachment from present concerns • History and nations developed together • History and nationalism developed together • Some 19th and 20th century historians wrote in service of the nation state • Origins of link between history and nation lie primarily in 19th century

5. Many influential historians were also politicians – e.g. Bancroft -USA; Macaulay - England • Some historians were nationalist activists – e.g. Frantisek Palacky – Czech (Key figure in 1848 revolution; wrote history of ‘Bohemia’)

6. Nationalist assumptions embedded in new cultural domains: • Reference works – e.g. Dictionary of National Biography • School curricula • Archives…

7. National Archives, Washington D.C. 1931-35

8. Issues for consideration for rest of session • What makes a nation? • Western nation building and Nationalism • Historians, cultural institutions and Nationalism • What makes a nationalist history? • Nationalist history is usually bad history • The politics of history: alternative histories

9. What makes a nation? • Hierarchy: govt and/or monarchy at top • Tradition/culture • Language • Borders • Unity/shared identity • Shared history… • Patriotism • Currency • Constitution • Political beliefs • The weather! • Flag! • Successes/heroes • Sports and festivals • Food • Religion • Music • Art/literature • The population/people • Industry/agriculture/economy • Education • Dress

10. What makes a nation? • Political geography • Cultural factors which can strengthen national identity: • Common language • Common culture • Common experience • Shared history • But – there are also arbitrary nation states – eg.: • Austrian-Hungarian Empire (historical) • Rwanda (current) • Submerged groups within can lay claim to national independence (eg Basque nationalists in Spain)

11. European states before the ‘nation’ • Before 1800, most European states not ‘nation states’ as we know them • Unified only by ruling dynasty (e.g. British Isles) • Loose ‘empires’ comprised of many small city states and principalities (e.g. Hapsburg Empire) • States fragmented internally by different languages and regional dialects, local customs, and powerful local political and legal institutions • ‘National identity’, if invoked at all, usually associated with a ruling dynasty and loyalty to it

12. Nation building and the nation • Enlightenment thought • Rousseau, The Social Contract, 1762 • The War of Independence and foundation of the United States • Declaration of Independence, 1776 • Constitution, 1787 • France and the French Revolution • Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, 1789 • Revolutionary wars; need to mobilize ‘citizen armies’ (in Europe, France first, then others)

13. Nation building (cont.) • Unification of Germany 1871 • Unification of Italy (c. 1815-1871) • Nationalism a pre-condition of national self-determination • Creation of on-going sense of community and stability: Massimo D’Azeglio: ‘We have made Italy; now we must make Italians’ • The vote: more people identified with nation and felt they had a political stake in it • Literacy: political literacy, consumption of nationalist ideas/propaganda

14. What makes a nationalist history? • Invasion/settlement (if an invasion of an already settled land, e.g. Australia, ‘invasion’ usually elided) • Unification (always seen positively) • Cultural achievements (national ‘spirit’, e.g. Shakespeare)

15. What makes a nationalist history? (cont.) • Superiority over other countries (usually military – e.g. Britain vs. France) • Religion (e.g. Catholicism and Irish nationalism) • Resistance and revolution - e.g. USA, or…

16. Is nationalist history bad history? • One-sided – assumes actions of nation examined are always right; ‘other side’ disparaged • Narrow – often excludes minorities and dissent within the nation from the story • Simplistic – usually casts people from the past as heroes or villains • Airbrushes out negative but crucial material (e.g. genocide in imperial settlement; oppression of the Irish by British occupiers)

17. Alternative stories • Exclusion of some groups from the nationalist story can lead to some from excluded groups identifying with the histories of the marginalised rather than with the dominant ‘national story’ • Growth of labour history, black history, women’s history, etc. • These alternative histories can affect identities today as much as the national stories

18. Conclusions • History as a discipline was shaped by the emergence of nations and nationalism • Yet nationalist history compromises scholarly standards • Historians can write national history which is not nationalist • Historians should question national myths, not endorse them • Historians can have a social role without endorsing national myths