When Empire Meets Nationalism

This innovative study presents an in-depth political and sociological analysis of the internal power politics and imperial forms developed by the Russian neo-eurasianists and the neo-conservatives in the United States. It traces the growth of nationalism and the concept of 'Empire' in relation to the ideologies and foreign policy of both Russia and the USA. Beginning with a genealogy of the two movements, the authors present the intricacy of imperial rhetoric and nationalist ideologies in modern states compared with the distinctive definition of Empire as a politico-historical form. The extent to which these ideas have shaped the foreign policy of Russia and the USA is then related to events in Central Asia, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The analysis of each case provides a better understanding of the imperial character of these foreign policies in relation to their nationalist foundations. The combination of political theory and geopolitics makes this cutting-edge research a must read to all interested in the evolving discourse surrounding Empire.

This innovative study presents an in-depth political and sociological analysis of the internal power politics and imperial forms developed by the Russian neo-eurasianists and the neo-conservatives in the United States. It traces the growth of nationalism and the concept of 'Empire' in relation to the ideologies and foreign policy of both Russia and the USA. Beginning with a genealogy of the two movements, the authors present the intricacy of imperial rhetoric and nationalist ideologies in modern states compared with the distinctive definition of Empire as a politico-historical form. The extent to which these ideas have shaped the foreign policy of Russia and the USA is then related to events in Central Asia, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The analysis of each case provides a better understanding of the imperial character of these foreign policies in relation to their nationalist foundations. The combination of political theory and geopolitics makes this cutting-edge research a must read to all interested in the evolving discourse surrounding Empire.

"This title was first published in 2000: A collection of articles by Russian and Western experts on nationalism. The objective of the work is to give an overview of the new Russian identity-building and of the historical continuities that lie behind this ongoing process. The main theme is the shift from empire and imperial consciousness, characteristic both of the imperial Russia and the Soviet Union, towards a new identity as a nation state. Ultra-nationalism and the threat posed by ultra-right extremists groups is also among the most important themes in the book. The rising nationalist extremism is one of the several major projects that seek to redefine the Russion nationhood. The ultra-nationalist challenge is examined in several articles; the anatomy of extreme Russian nationalism is also examined through a case study of a small militant group of extremists."--Provided by publisher.

"In this multiauthor collection historians examine the nature, ambitions, and limitations of empire and the role these played in the First World War. The volume further analyzes how and why the war facilitated the rise of national movements across Eastern Europe, bringing about the downfall of centuries-old monarchies and engendering the establishment of vulnerable successor states."--Provided by publisher.

This book examines Hungarian nationalism through everyday practices that will strike most readers as things that seem an unlikely venue for national politics. Separate chapters examine nationalized tobacco, nationalized wine, nationalized moustaches, nationalized sexuality, and nationalized clothing. These practices had other economic, social or gendered meanings: moustaches were associated with manliness, wine with aristocracy, and so forth. The nationalization of everyday practices thus sheds light on how patriots imagined the nation’s economic, social, and gender composition. Nineteenth-century Hungary thus serves as the case study in the politics of "everyday nationalism." The book discusses several prominent names in Hungarian history, but in unfamiliar contexts. The book also engages with theoretical debates on nationalism, discussing several key theorists. Various chapters specifically examine how historical actors imagine relationship between the nation and the state, paying particular attention Rogers Brubaker’s constructivist approach to nationalism without groups, Michael Billig’s notion of ‘banal nationalism,’ Carole Pateman’s ideas about the nation as a ‘national brotherhood’, and Tara Zahra’s notion of ‘national indifference.’

If one were to pick a single explanation for the fall of the tsarist and Soviet empires, it might well be Russia's inability to achieve a satisfactory relationship with non-Russian nationalities. Perhaps no other region demonstrates imperial Russia's "national dilemma" better than the western provinces and Kingdom of Poland, an extensive area inhabited by a diverse group of nationalities, including Poles, Jews, Ukrainians, Belorussians, Russians, and Lithuanians. Taking an in-depth look at this region during an era of intensifying national feeling, Weeks shows that the Russian government, even at the height of its empire, never came to terms with the question of nationality. Drawing upon little-known Russian and Polish archives, Weeks challenges widely held assumptions about the "national policy" of late imperial Russia and provides fresh insights into ethnicity in Russia and the former Soviet Union. He demonstrates that, rather than pursuing a plan of "russification," the tsarist government reacted to situations and failed to initiate policy. In spite of the Russians' great distrust of certain minority nationalities--especially Jews and Poles--the ruling elite was equally uncomfortable with the modern nationalism, even in its Russian form. Weeks demonstrates Russia's unwillingness (or inability) to use nationalistic policies to save the empire by examining its dilatory and contradictory actions regarding efforts to institute reforms in the western lands.

This text provides a survey of the Soviet management of the nationalities question. It traces the conflicts and tensions created by the geographic definition of national territories, the establishment of several official national languages and the world's first mass "affirmative action" programmes.