Unit 4: Nationalism, Industrialism, and Imperialism

Lesson I: The Dual Forces of Nationalism

Lesson Overview

Member Flags of the United Nations at Geneva ^[1]

The most influential idea of the nineteenth century was nationalism. Nationalism is a collective feeling of membership and loyalty to a country, a community that has a shared culture, history, language, and territory. Previously, most people had considered themselves subjects of a ruler rather than as citizens of a country. This perception changed largely due to the spread of the ideas of political revolutionaries and Enlightenment thinkers of the previous century. Nationalism served as a force of unity for many countries and regions, including the countries facing the threat of imperialism and colonialism. At the same time, for others nationalism was a more destructive force and led to the breakup of empires. As nationalistic movements spread people began forming new loyalties and identities, transforming societies and the world.

Key Questions

1. How does the development of nationalism impact people, countries, and empires?
2. What characteristics and factors unite people as a country?
3. Is there such a thing as completely unbiased history?
4. How do geography and location affect historical events?

Student Outcomes

1. Analyze how nationalism was a source of tension and conflict in places such as the Ottoman Empire.
2. Explore how events during the 19^th century, such as imperialism, led to the rise of nationalist movements in China, India, Egypt, Russia, and Japan.
3. Assess the impact of nationalism on the unification movements in Germany and Italy.
4. Compare nationalist movements in different regions of the world, such as Latin America, Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East.
5. Draw comparisons across eras and regions in order to define enduring issues. (Historical Thinking Skill)
6. Analyze cause-and-effect relationships and multiple causation, including the importance of the individual and the influence of ideas. (Historical Thinking Skill)

Key Terms

• colonialism
• confederation
• empire
• imperialism
• nationalism

Student Resources

• Historical Investigation - Bismarck and German Unification (doc)
• Colonial Resistance Jigsaw Fact Sheet (pdf)
• Colonial Resistance Jigsaw Graphic Organizer (doc)
• Global Comparison of Nationalism Brief Constructed Response (BCR) (doc)

Chart of Activities

Lesson Completion Time

The total estimated time to complete this lesson is 110 minutes.

Page Notes:

^[1] Source: This image from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:UNGENEVA.jpg is licensed under the terms of the GNU License Agreement.