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The idea of a nation and the causes of interethnic conflicts

In modern science, thanks to a number of prominent researchers (like Eric Hobsbaum, Benedict Anderson, Anthony Smith, Ernest Gellner and others), the causes of interethnic conflicts and nationalistic sentiments have been studied quite fully. The fundamental basis for the emergence of any nation is the so-called collective national consciousness. This phenomenon represents The awareness of their spiritual and blood intimacy by a large group of people: common language, traditions, origin, historical past, unity of views on the heroic and tragic moments of history, common aspirations in the future. In modern science there are different views on the phenomenon of the nation, however, according to the most justified of them, the nation as such emerges only in the New Age of European history, in the era of industrialization and urbanization, when the archaic local identities of village communities broke (and the absolute majority of the population lived in them ) And the limited world of a medieval peasant suddenly expanded to the borders of the country.

American historian Eugene Joseph Weber aptly described these processes in his book "From the peasants to the French." This is how identification with a particular nation takes place and, accordingly, opposition to others. Already in this fact the causes of interethnic conflicts are laid . The fact that a nation can not be chosen creates a sacred image from it, as if sent by Providence. The image, for which, as history shows, millions are ready to go to their deaths. It is interesting that no one is giving his life for the honor of the association, the trade union and so on. It is worthy of it only that, in the opinion of man, it is impossible to change what is given from the very beginning to the end. The next layer in the foundation, which paves the way for the emergence of interethnic conflicts, is the fact that any nation has its own distinctive characteristics only. They have completely different character: mental, religious, linguistic, connected with historical memory and others. The reasons for interethnic conflicts lie in the fact that representatives of at least one of the nations have an anxious feeling for preserving their own national attributes: an attempt on the memory of national heroes, infringement of the language and so on.

It is interesting that those nations that are exposed to various kinds of harassment that have not had the opportunity to realize their respective needs for a long time are especially receptive to protecting national dignity and interests. So, for example, in modern Europe, such communities are Basques in Spain and Flemings in Belgium. The causes of interethnic conflicts in these regions are a long-term domination in the countries of foreign communities: Castilians and Walloons, respectively. Another vivid example is the Soviet state. Interethnic conflicts in the USSR came to the surface during perestroika. And interestingly, those who for a long time did not have their own state, such as the Balts, Ukrainians, Georgians, stated their desire for national implementation. In turn, the peoples who once had their own state, are not so sensitive to national issues today . Englishmen, Frenchmen, Italians in Europe have long found a common language, "played enough" with the idea of the nation and having adopted other values.

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