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Concept
Polish nationalism
Summary
Polish nationalism (Polski nacjonalizm) is a form of nationalism which asserts that the Poles are a nation and promotes the cultural unity of Poles. Norman Davies, in the context of Polish nationalism, generally defined nationalism as "a doctrine ... to create a nation by arousing people's awareness of their nationality, and to mobilize their feelings into a vehicle for political action".
The old Polish proto-nationalism of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth which was based on its population's Polish-Lithuanian identity was multi-ethnic and multi-religious, though ethnic Poles still constituted the majority of the population and Roman Catholicism was still the most dominant religion inside the nation. The nationalist ideology which developed soon after the Partitions was initially free of any kind of "ethnic nationalism." It was a Romantic movement which sought the restoration of the Polish sovereign state. Polish Romantic nationalism was described by Maurycy Mochnacki as "the essence of the nation" no longer defined by borders but by ideas, feelings, and thoughts resulting from the past. The birth of modern nationalism under foreign rule was coincided with the November Uprising of 1830 and the subsequent Spring of Nations. However, the defeat suffered by the Poles also broke the Polish revolutionary spirit. Many intellectuals turned to social Darwinism of Herbert Spencer, blaming the Romantic philosophy for the loss of their property, mass destruction, and ultimately the loss of the nation. With the advent of Positivism between 1860 and 1890 Polish nationalism became an elitist cause. Because the partitioning powers could not have identified themselves with the Polish nation, the ideology became more restrictive in terms of ethnicity and religion.
The earliest manifestations of Polish nationalism, and conscious discussions of what it means to be a citizen of the Polish nation, can be traced back to the 17th or 18th century, with some scholars going as far back as the 13th century, and others to the 16th century.
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