Background to Nationalism
The noble idea carried by nationalism was distorted very soon and by the end of the nineteenth century, the ideas of liberty, equality and fraternity started fading away. Very soon the concept of nationalism got narrowed down to limited goals as nationalist groups became intolerant of each other and were even ready to go to war against each other. Big European powers took advantage of this situation and started manipulating nationalists to pursue their imperialistic aims.
Nationalism and Imperialism – Chapter 1 CBSE Class 10 History
The French revolution that started in the late eighteenth century created a sense of collective identity and promoted nationalism for the noble purpose of creating a democratic nation where fundamental rights would be practised and human rights would be given top priority.