Polish nationalism

Polish nationalism is the nationalism that asserts that Poles are a Polish nation, and promotes the cultural unity of Poles. Norman Davies, in the context of Polish nationalism, defined nationalism in general as "a doctrine ... to create a nation by arousing people's awareness of their nationality, and to mobilize their feelings into a vehicle for political action".

The old Polish protonationalism of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth based on the Polish-Lithuanian identity was multi-ethnic and multi-religious. The nationalist ideology developed soon after the Partitions was initially free of "ethnic nationalism" of any kind. It was a Romantic movement for the restoration of the Polish sovereign state. Polish Romantic nationalism was described by Maurycy Mochnacki as "the essence of the nation" no longer defined by borders but by ideas, feelings, and thoughts resulting from the past. The birth of modern nationalism under foreign rule coincided with the November Uprising of 1830 and the subsequent Spring of Nations. However, the defeat suffered by the Poles also broke the Polish revolutionary spirit. Many intellectuals turned to social Darwinism of Herbert Spencer, blaming the Romantic philosophy for the loss of their property, mass destruction, and ultimately the loss of the nation. With the advent of Positivism between 1860 and 1890 Polish nationalism became an elitist cause. Because the partitioning powers could not have identified themselves with the Polish nation, therefore the ideology became more restrictive in terms of ethnicity and religion.

The earliest manifestations of Polish nationalism, and conscious discussions of what it means to be a citizen of the Polish nation, can be traced to the 17th or 18th centuries, with some scholars going as far back as the 13th century. Early Polish nationalism, or protonationalism, was related to the Polish-Lithuanian identity, represented primarily by the Polish nobility (szlachta), and their cultural values (such as the Golden Freedoms). It was founded on civic, republican ideas. This early form of Polish nationalism begun to fray and transform with the destruction of the Polish state in the late 18th century partitions of Poland.

...
Wikipedia