Passage 1
Ernst Renan, ‘What is a Nation?’
In a lecture delivered at the University of Sorbonne in 1882, the French philosopher Ernst Renan (1823-92) outlined his understanding of
what makes a nation. The lecture was subsequently published as a famous essay entitled ‘Qu’est-ce qu’une nation?’ (‘What is a Nation?’). In this essay Renan criticizes the notion suggested by others that a nation is formed by a common language, race, religion, or territory: ‘A nation is the culmination of a long past of endeavours, sacrifice and devotion. A heroic past, great men, glory, that is the social capital upon which one bases a national idea. To have common glories in the past, to have a common will in the present, to have performed great deeds together, to wish to perform still more, these
are the essential conditions of being a people. A nation is therefore a large-scale solidarity … Its existence is a daily plebiscite … A province is its
inhabitants; if anyone has the right to be consulted, it is the inhabitant. A nation never has any real interest in annexing or holding on to a country against its will. The existence of nations is a good thing, a necessity even. Their existence is a guarantee of liberty, which would be lost if the world had only one law and only one master.’
Questions / Answer:
Question 1: What, according to Renan, forms the foundation of a nation?
Answer: Renan suggests that a nation is built upon a heroic past, great individuals, and collective glories, which serve as the social capital for a national identity.
Question 2: How does Renan critique the conventional views of what constitutes a nation?
Answer: Renan criticizes the idea that a nation is solely defined by factors such as language, race, religion, or territory, arguing instead that it is forged through shared historical experiences and collective aspirations.
Question 3: What does Renan mean by stating that “a nation is a large-scale solidarity”?
Answer: Renan emphasizes that a nation is characterized by a profound sense of solidarity among its people, where individuals share common glories, a collective will in the present, and a desire to continue achieving greatness together.
Question 4: What role does the concept of a “daily plebiscite” play in Renan’s understanding of a nation?
Answer: Renan suggests that the continued existence of a nation depends on the ongoing consent and affirmation of its inhabitants, who collectively affirm their identity through daily actions and choices.
Question 5: Why does Renan argue that the existence of multiple nations is essential for liberty?
Answer: Renan contends that the existence of diverse nations serves as a safeguard for liberty, as it prevents the establishment of a monolithic world order with a single law and ruler, thereby preserving individual and collective freedoms.
Passage 2
The Grimm Brothers: Folktales and Nation-building
Grimms’ Fairy Tales is a familiar name. The brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were born in the German city of Hanau in 1785 and 1786 respectively. While both of them studied law, they soon developed an interest in collecting old folktales. They spent six years travelling from village to village, talking to people and writing down fairy tales, which were handed down through the generations. These were popular both among children and adults. In 1812, they published their first collection of tales. Subsequently, both the brothers became active in liberal politics, especially the movement for freedom of the press. In the meantime, they also published a 33-volume dictionary of the German language. The Grimm brothers also saw French domination as a threat to German culture, and believed that the folktales they had collected were expressions of a pure and authentic German spirit. They considered their projects of collecting folktales and developing the German language as part of the wider effort to oppose French domination and create a German national identity.
Questions / Answer:
Question 1: What sparked the interest of the Grimm brothers in collecting folktales?
Answer: The Grimm brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm, became interested in collecting folktales due to their fascination with the oral traditions and stories that had been passed down through generations in German villages.
Question 2: What was the primary focus of the Grimm brothers’ work in addition to collecting folktales?
Answer: Alongside their efforts in collecting folktales, the Grimm brothers were active in liberal politics, particularly advocating for freedom of the press. They also undertook the monumental task of compiling a comprehensive dictionary of the German language.
Question 3: How did the Grimm brothers view French domination in relation to German culture?
Answer: The Grimm brothers perceived French domination as a threat to German culture. They believed that the folktales they collected represented a pure and authentic German spirit, and they saw their work as a means of preserving and promoting German identity in the face of external influences.
Question 4: In what way did the Grimm brothers see their collection of folktales as contributing to the development of German national identity?
Answer: The Grimm brothers considered their project of collecting folktales as part of a broader effort to oppose French domination and foster a distinct German national identity. They viewed the tales as expressions of German culture and sought to preserve them as integral elements of the German heritage.
Question 5: What was the significance of the Grimm brothers’ work beyond the realm of folklore?
Answer: Beyond their contributions to folklore, the Grimm brothers played a crucial role in shaping German national consciousness. Through their efforts in collecting folktales and advocating for the German language, they sought to strengthen German cultural identity and resist external influences, particularly from France.
Passage 3
Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-82) is perhaps the most celebrated of Italian freedom fighters. He came from a family engaged in coastal trade and was a sailor in the merchant navy. In 1833 he met Mazzini, joined the Young Italy movement and participated in a republican uprising in Piedmont in 1834. The uprising was suppressed and Garibaldi had to flee to South America, where he lived in exile till 1848. In 1854, he supported Victor Emmanuel II in his efforts to unify the Italian states. In 1860, Garibaldi led the famous Expedition of the Thousand to South Italy. Fresh volunteers kept joining through the course of the campaign, till their numbers grew to about 30,000. They were popularly known as Red Shirts.
In 1867, Garibaldi led an army of volunteers to Rome to fight the last obstacle to the unification of Italy, the Papal States where a French garrison was stationed. The Red Shirts proved to be no match for the combined French and Papal troops. It was only in 1870 when, during the war with Prussia, France withdrew its troops from Rome that the Papal States were finally joined to Italy.
Questions / Answer:
Question 1: What were Giuseppe Garibaldi’s early experiences before becoming involved in the fight for Italian unification?
Answer: Garibaldi hailed from a family involved in coastal trade and worked as a sailor in the merchant navy. In 1833, he joined the Young Italy movement after meeting Giuseppe Mazzini and participated in a failed republican uprising in Piedmont in 1834.
Question 2: What prompted Garibaldi to flee to South America in 1834?
Answer: Following the suppression of the republican uprising in Piedmont, Garibaldi was forced to flee to South America in exile, where he resided until 1848.
Question 3: How did Garibaldi contribute to the unification of Italy in the mid-19th century?
Answer: Garibaldi supported Victor Emmanuel II’s efforts to unify the Italian states in 1854. In 1860, he led the Expedition of the Thousand to South Italy, where fresh volunteers, known as the Red Shirts, joined him, eventually numbering around 30,000.
Question 4: What was the purpose of Garibaldi’s 1867 campaign to Rome?
Answer: Garibaldi led an army of volunteers to Rome in 1867 to challenge the Papal States, which remained an obstacle to Italian unification due to the presence of a French garrison. However, the Red Shirts were unable to overcome the combined forces of the French and Papal troops.
Question 5: When did the Papal States finally become part of Italy, and what facilitated this integration?
Answer: The Papal States were incorporated into Italy in 1870, during the war with Prussia, when France withdrew its troops from Rome. This withdrawal allowed for the final joining of the Papal States to Italy, marking a significant milestone in the unification process.
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