Nationalism and Racism: Their Relationship and Development

The first breakthrough of nationalism, if not its birth, is often thought to have risen out of the French revolution in the late 18 th century. The revolution has been said to mark the "dawn of the modern era" 1 and was crucial in the political transformation of Europe that would ensue in the next two centuries. The ideas of liberalism and selfdeterminism that emerged out of the revolution spread across Europe. New countries were formed, such as Germany and Italy, from smaller states that possessed a strong "national identity" and others won their independence such as Greece, Poland and Bulgaria.