How was history of development of nationalism in England different from the rest of the Europe ??
Answers
History of nationalism in Britain was different due to following reasons:
(i) No revolution:
While in France, nationalism was developed through revolutions, in Britain it was the result of a long drawn out process.
(ii) English parliament:
While other European countries like Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, etc. had to wage wars either to gain independence or to unify their countries; in Britain, this objective was accomplished through Parliamentary acts.
(iii) Suppression:
The British Parliament was dominated by its English members. They tried to suppress Scotland's distinctive culture and also forced them to speak English language in place of Gaelic language and they were not even allowed to wear their national dress.
(iv) English culture:
A new 'British Nation' was formed through the propagation of a dominant English culture. The symbols of new Britain were, the British flag (Union Jack), their national anthem and the English language. Older nation's culture was subdued under the English culture.
For the following reasons the history of development of nationalism in Britain is different from the rest of the Europe:
1. While some countries of Europe (such as France) witnessed revolution for the development of the feeling of nationalism, in Britain it developed slowly or it can be said that it was an outcome of long drawn out process.
2. While many countries of Europe had to wage wars to get independence or for unification, Britain just had to pass parliamentary laws to accomplish these objectives.
3. The parliament of Britain was dominated by the English members of the nation, who made attempts to suppress the traditional culture of Scotland and also forced them to speak the official English language instead of Gaelic language.