Ethnolinguistic nationalism

Ethnolinguistic nationalism is a form of nationalism that defines the nation as a group of people with a shared language, culture, and ethnic ancestry. It holds that this ethnolinguistic group has the right to its own national state and that national borders should ideally align with ethnic community borders. This ideology was prominent in the 19th and 20th centuries, often leading to the creation of nation-states based on specific ethnic groups and can be a source of conflict or discrimination against other ethnic groups within a state, as the focus is on the interests and preservation of a particular ethnic community.

Key Characteristics

• Shared Heritage: Members are united by common language, customs, religion, ancestry, and cultural traits.
• Self-Determination: The central idea is that an ethnolinguistic group has the right to create its own independent state to preserve its cultural identity and interests.
• Homogenization: It often leads to efforts to create ethnically homogeneous states through assimilation, expulsion, or coercion of minority groups.
• Exclusionary: Those who do not share the defining ethnic traits may be seen as second-class citizens or outsiders.

Origins and Development

• 19th Century Formulation: The concept was formulated in Central Europe during the early to mid-19th century, particularly within multi-ethnic empires like the Austrian-Hungarian or Ottoman empires.
• Response to Multi-Ethnicity: It arose as a movement for groups like the Slovaks under Hungarian rule who faced discrimination and wanted to preserve their culture through an independent state.
• Influence of Johann Gottfried Herder: The ideas of thinkers like Herder, who emphasized the importance of language and folk culture, were influential in shaping the concept.

Examples and Manifestations

• Formation of Nation-States: After World War I, many multi-ethnic empires were replaced by ethnolinguistic nation-states in Central Europe, a process legitimized by this ideology.
• Divided Nations: It also served as a force for national unification for groups divided across multiple states, such as the Germans.
• Modern Relevance: The ideology and its consequences continue to be relevant today, with its impact visible in various forms of nationalism and the challenges posed by migration and globalization, which challenge ethnolinguistic homogeneity.