Claiming the nation: coalition networks and nationalist mobilization in the short nineteenth century, 1830-1848
Date
2021
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
Both the concept of the nation-state and the ideology of nationalism are central to the study of modern inter-state relations. However, both the causes of nationalist politics and the way it affects international order remain understudied in the scholarship of International Relations (IR). The dissertation project addresses this question by developing a theoretical framework for the comparative analysis of nationalist mobilization in world politics. Drawing form social network theory, I argue that both the intensity and impact of nationalist mobilization reflects, firstly, the composition of elite ties in a polity and, secondly, their strategic choices in targeting particular constituency groups to join their nationalist coalitions. Accordingly, I hypothesize that in "unbalanced" coalition systems, with a strong ruling coalition and a markedly weaker challenger, elites are likely to pursue a moderate from of nationalist mobilization, centered around a common reform program and established notions of national identity. Here both established elites and challengers have an incentive to work together to forestall the ascent of a more radical third party. In contrast, the rise of a more assertive and revisionist nationalism is commonly experienced in highly polarized coalition systems in which two relatively balanced, but ideologically opposed coalitions compete for power. In this case, elites have little choice but to radicalize their claims in hope of attracting new, previously excluded coalition members to gain a competitive advantage in electoral contests. ☐ To test my propositions, I undertake a comparative analysis of two episodes of nationalist mobilization in the context of nineteenth century European politics. I first examine the formation of a moderate nationalist coalition in Great Britain in the run-up to the 1832 Reform Act before turning to an investigation of a more radical form of nationalist mobilization in Prussia during the 1848 revolutions. In both cases, I argue that the political form of nationalism depended primarily on the composition of the respective coalitions and its relationship to the established institutions of power and authority in the polity. Importantly, I note that coalitions that depend on transgressive claims to mobilize more radical constituent groups tend to pursue policies that challenge the established domestic and international arrangements. In contrast, coalitions that use contained claims and build on established and more moderate constituents generally favor a status quo orientation in their domestic and international policy.
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Keywords
International relations, Nationalist mobilization, European politics, Nationalist coalitions