Nationalism in the French Revolution: The First Example
In France, prior to 1789, it was a time of pain and sorrow. The people were getting taxed unbelievable amounts of while their king did nothing for them except sit on his throne with a pompous grin on his face. There was no pride, there was no equality, and there was no unity. This was until the year of 1789. People had been unhappy with their king for quite some time and were just waiting for change. This unease is what sparked the most renowned revolution known to the world. People wanted change and were willing to fight for it. Without the effort of the fight, the French and the rest of the world would still be in a period of unhappiness. There was a bond instilled in the people that was formed through the trials of past times. This was a bond that would be hard, if not impossible to break. People as a general rule find comfort in similarity. The people of France had a similar hatred for the way that they were treated. Thus, they were made a nation. United under a similar belief, they sought out to make things better for themselves. This created an incredible sense of nationalism among the people that continues to this day. France finds pride in the connection that they have with each other and the world saw this. The world saw this nation and they saw how they could get closer to becoming like it. Without the French Revolution, their would be no example for the world to follow. For the French, this sense of nationalism is almost akin to evolution. When they found a necessity to advance, adapt, and evolve, they did. The situation that the people were in was the catalyst for change in its very nature. These people needed hope for a prospect that they could have a better quality of life and with each other, helped work towards achieving the goal of a bigger and brighter future.