Choose three examples to show the contribution of culture to the growth of nationalism in Europe.

Three examples to show the contribution of culture to the

growth of nationalism in Europe were:

→ Romanticism was a European cultural movement aimed at

developing national unity by creating a sense of shared heritage

and common history. The Romantic artists' emphasis on

emotions, intuition and mystical feelings gave shape and

expression to nationalist sentiments. The strength of art in

promoting nationalism is well exemplified in the role played by

European poets and artists in mobilising public opinion to

support the Greeks in their struggle to establish their national

identity.

→ Folk songs, dances and poetry contributed to popularising the

spirit of nationalism and patriotic fervour in Europe. Collecting

and recording the different forms of folk culture was important

for building a national consciousness. Being a part of the lives of

the common people, folk culture enabled nationalists to carry

the message of nationalism to a large and diverse audience. The

Polish composer Karol Kurpinski celebrated and popularized the

Polish nationalist struggle through his operas and music, turning

folk dances like the polonaise and mazurka into nationalist

symbols. 

→ Language also played a distinctive role in developing

nationalist feelings in Europe. An example of this is how during

Russian occupation, the use of Polish came to be seen as a

symbol of struggle against Russian dominance. During this

period, Polish language was forced out of schools and Russian

language was imposed everywhere. Following the defeat of an

armed rebellion against Russian rule in 1831, many members of

the clergy in Poland began using language as a weapon of

national resistance. They did so by refusing to preach in Russian,

and by using Polish for Church gatherings and religious

instruction. The emphasis on the use of vernacular language, the

language of the masses, helped spread the message of national

unity.