POLI SCI 351 Lecture 2: Poli sci 351
24 May 2018
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How did the nation-state acquire political meaning?
What are the legacies of politics under and against colonial rule?
History continued
• World War I: Landmarks
o Husayn-McMahon Correspondence (1915-1916)
▪ British promise Husayn that if he lead Arabs against Ottoman from
within empire, there will be an Arab empire
▪ Husayn agrees to lead the revolt
o Sykes-Picot Agreement (May 1916)
▪ French and British meet, decide how to split up area
▪ Same area that Husayn thinks that he is getting
o Balfour Declaration (Nov 1917)
▪ Zionist movement growing since 1880s
▪ In declaration, British government formally supports Jewish
national home
• Specifically being formed in Palestine
o Ottoman surrender (1918)
o Faysal (son of Husayn) reaches Damascus, working under assumption
that they will be rewarded with Arab kingdom
▪ Kingdom of Syria declared (March - July 1920)
▪ French end it
o San Remo Conference (1920)
▪ Establishes League of Nations Mandates
▪ Recognize map established in Sykes-Picot (colonialist)
▪ People of former Ottoman empire not able to rule themselves, so
the Europeans will help them until they are ready
▪ Called mandates instead of colonies
o Faysal becomes king of Iraq, his brother Abdullah becomes king of
Jordan (both countries under British rule)
How did nation-states acquire real political meaning?
***Consider ideology/identity, institutions, mobilization***
• What is nationalism?
o Collective identity / consciousness (with element of history)
▪ Competing identities
o Ideology
▪ Ernest Gellner: Nationalism is a principle of legitimacy for a
political unit that holds that the political unit and national unit
should match. A group that can see itself as a nation should have
a state, and a state should have a nation.
o What explains nationalism: Gelvin reading enumerates factors
How did nation-states become the focus of politics and loyalty?
• Pre-colonial authenticity
o Examples: Gasper on Egypt, Gelvin on Greater Syria / the Levant
• Colonial rule makes state the context
o Institutions, administration, law, currency, parliaments
o Symbols: flags, anthem
o Borders and security
o School: young people taught country’s history
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Document Summary
***consider ideology/identity, institutions, mobilization**: what is nationalism, collective identity / consciousness (with element of history, competing identities. Ideology: ernest gellner: nationalism is a principle of legitimacy for a political unit that holds that the political unit and national unit should match. A group that can see itself as a nation should have a state, and a state should have a nation: what explains nationalism: gelvin reading enumerates factors. How did nation-states become the focus of politics and loyalty: pre-colonial authenticity, examples: gasper on egypt, gelvin on greater syria / the levant, colonial rule makes state the context. Institutions, administration, law, currency, parliaments: symbols: flags, anthem, borders and security, school: young people taught country"s history, defines arena in which to compete for power. Inter-war era: main focus of political activity: mobilization itself constructs/reinforces identity. Statehood via revolution from below: resistance to foreign occupation (see gasper, turkey (1923, mustafa kemal. Ian (1925: reza shah, dominate and unite territory, saudi arabia (1932)
