Revolutions, Nationalism, and Exploitation in the Modern World Essay

Introduction

I have always believed people need changes to define the worth of their contributions to national and global development. Historically, such processes are known as revolutions, the promotion of nationalism, and exploitation. Many meaningful changes occurred between 1789 and 2001, including the French Revolution in the 1780s, German nationalism in the 1800s, and the Gulag repressions in the 1900s. One of the most remarkable events, the destruction of the Berlin War in 1989, gave rise to a new geopolitical idea of social melding.¹ However, Donald Trump admits the importance of walls for nations to protect their current national achievements. This statement made me think that instead of opening doors to all opportunities, the world has to understand the role of boundaries. Today’s Coronavirus pandemic or the Russia-Ukraine war are the outcomes of a poorly interpreted past. Therefore, my intention to evaluate the impact of revolutions, nationalism, and exploitation is based on the necessity to identify the best ways for co-existence in the modern world.

Revolution

At the beginning of the course, I learned the definition of revolution introduced by Jack Goldstein. He explained it as a rare “institutional change” or “driving ideology” under the condition when “rulers become weak” and “people believe in themselves.”² French Revolutions in 1789 or 1848 show how new military conflicts overthrew political regimes to promote a new democratic system. The Industrial Revolution in Britain provoked economic and social transformations that enhanced reconstruction. Historians like Goldstein and Hobsbawm offered not to confuse revolutions and rebellions (failed liberation attempts).³, ⁴People have to be ready to take quick and confident steps and use the unpredictability factor as a winning element. Thus, the intention to encourage the movements for women’s suffrage and minority groups’ support (slave exploitation) at that moment did not succeed but contributed to new ideologies and debates. Using this information, I think, today, revolutions are hardly possible because of people’s limited desire to introduce new strong ideologies, except those of neo-nationalism.

Nationalism

Nationalism is another critical concept to be thoroughly studied during the course. According to Hobsbawm, this ideology is rooted in congruence between political and national units to strengthen national identity.⁵ In the 1800s, the first elements of German nationalism emerged as a reaction to the Napoleonic Wars and the identification of political forces when German-speaking states united to resist Napoleonic power. In a short period, the British recognized the strengths of nationalism to fight against the French invasion. The inability to solve controversies now affects the modern world, and Brexit is an outcome. According to Thomson, Brexit is rooted in the growth of contradictions between the UK government and the European Union and the inevitability of national identity breakthrough.⁶ Nationalism might not directly shape exploitation changes, but it significantly affected another change force – revolutions. There were many examples when national sentiments provoked serious conflicts at the national level in China (the Opium War), Australia (the Anzac Myth), and Africa (post-World War I self-determination). I think the Cold War is one of the most dangerous views of nationalism due to the unpredictability of the competition between the West and the Soviet ideology.

Exploitation

The last concept that has been learned is exploitation from 1789 to 2001, and its connection to the ideas of nationalism and revolutions is undeniable. Following the views of historians, the wrong or unfair exploitation of labor was one of the major reasons for people to rebel and define their rights and freedoms.⁷ The abolition of the slave trade in English society, African and Asian migration of non-white populations, and Congo repressions under King Leopold at the end of the 1800s were evident examples. The creation of gulag camps by Joseph Stalin was explained by the necessity to remove undesirable elements in Soviet society.⁸ Instead of supporting damaged populations, the leader was interested in using prisoners as the major source of labor. Today, Putin supports the contextualization approach to hide the horrors of such exploitation, but it is a part of history that cannot be ignored. My thought is that nationalism and exploitation affected life quality and the relationships of individuals from different social groups.

Conclusion

Before starting the course, I knew that such concepts as nationalism, revolutions, and exploitation shaped human history and affected political and social changes. Now, I got a great opportunity to learn different historian views about how the chosen forces of change could shape each other and the modern world. Sometimes, society is ready to remove old rules, while some situations require more time and resources to understand unpredictable events and implement the necessary shifts. Revolutions can emerge from nothing, and a lack of national identity or increased exploitation activities usually contribute to conflicts at different levels. I will use examples from different countries, including Germany, France, the UK, and Russia, to improve my understanding of painful reality. People want to create a perfect wall and break all walls to enhance justice and freedom. However, this intention should never be a one-sided evaluation but a combination of national experiences and critical lessons about the past.

Bibliography

Goldstein, Jack A. Revolutions: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.

Hobsbawm, Eric. Nations and Nationalism since 1780: Programme, Myth, Reality. 2nd ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990.

Hobsbawm, Eric. The Age of Revolution: 1789-1848. New York: Vintage Books, 1996.

Postel-Vinay, Karoline. “How Neo-Nationalism Went Global.” The Conversation, 2017.

Thompson, Helen. “Brexit Forever.”History Today 69, no. 3, 2019.

Walker, Shaun. “Russia’s Gulag Camps Cast in Forgiving Light of Putin Nationalism.”The Guardian, 2015.

Footnotes

1. Karoline Postel-Vinay, “How Neo-Nationalism Went Global,” The Conversation, 2017. Web.
2. Jack A. Goldstein, Revolutions: A Very Short Introduction (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014), 17-18.
3. Eric Hobsbawm, The Age of Revolution: 1789-1848 (New York: Vintage Books, 1996), 23.
4. Jack A. Goldstein, Revolutions, 20.
5. Eric Hobsbawm, Nations and Nationalism since 1780: Programme, Myth, Reality, 2nd ed. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990), 9.
6. Helen Thompson, “Brexit Forever,” History Today 69, no. 3 (2019). Web.
7. Hobsbawm, The Age of Revolution, 39.
8. Shaun Walker, “Russia’s Gulag Camps Cast in Forgiving Light of Putin Nationalism,” The Guardian, 2015. Web.