Citation

Hutchinson J. Nations Nationalism 2018; 24(1): 6-21.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/nana.12364

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article argues that warfare has been marginalised in theories of nationalism but that in conjunction with nationalism is vital for understanding the rise of nation-states, the formation of nations and the nature of the international system. It offers a critique of statist approaches, suggests mechanisms through which warfare may sacralise nations and explores different patterns of nation-state formation as they affect the interstate system. In particular, it emphasises tensions between state and nation-formation as activated by the fortunes of war and the destabilising effects of waves of imperial dissolution, which are accompanied by patterns of re-imperialization. It suggests that it is simplistic both to claim that war has led to a transition from empires to nation-states and that contemporary practices of war-making have led to a postnational era.

Language: en

Keywords

empire; international system; national sacralisation; postnationalism; state formation; warfare