Nationalism in France: class and nation since 1789

Abstract

This concise history of the post-revolutionary period in France provides at the same time an original study of the evolution of French nationalism since 1789. Brian Jenkins argues that French nationalism can be understood only in the context of class antagonism, and that the nationalisms of left and right have profoundly different social and ideological foundations. Acknowledging the French Revolution as the birthplace of the democratic nation state, Jenkins investigates the concepts of nation and class, showing how they are often transformed by the changing social and political context of two centuries of history. He analyzes the significant historical events since the French Revolution from the perspective of the growth of the concept of nationhood and national identity. His controversial analysis raises issues of contemporary relevance, such as the debate on the legacy of the French Revolution, the renewed interest in the diversity and viability of the modern nation state and nationalist ideology, and the controversy about the future of radical left-wing politics.

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