Liberalism and Nationalism

In the late 18th and 19th centuries there where two ideologies that was fueling the revolutions during this time. These two ideologies are liberalism and nationalism. Liberalism is a belief in gradual social progress by changing laws, rather than by revolution. It is also sated to be the belief that people should have a lot of political and individual freedom. Nationalism is the desire for political independence of people who feel they are historically or culturally a separate group within a country. It is often associated with the belief that a particular nation is better than any other nation, and in this case is often used showing disapproval.

Liberalism first became a powerful force in the Age of Enlightenment. In the 19th century liberal governments was established in many nations across Europe, Latin America, and North America. Liberal power increased further in the 20th century, when liberal democracies "triumphed" in two world wars and survived major ideological challenges from fascism and communism. The term nationalism was coined by Johann Gottfried Herder (nationalismus) during the late 1770s. Where Nationalism emerged from is difficult to determine, but its development is closely related to that of the modern state and the push for popular sovereignty that came to a head with the French Revolution and the American Revolution in the late 18th century. Since that time, nationalism has become one of the most significant political and social forces in history. Other forms of nationalism are revolutionary, calling for the establishment of an independent state as a homeland for an ethnic underclass.