ABSTRACT
Among the numerous characteristics of nationalism three are worth particular mention. The first is an awareness, among members of the community, of a natural homogeneity in language, culture (especially literature and music) and social customs. The second is a mass acceptance of the authority of a central government, in the defence of specified frontiers against external enemies. The government sometimes seeks to convert this loyalty into veneration by promoting selected attitudes and transmitting certain values through education and the mass media. The third, the people’s awareness of its own unique identity, can be used as a source of energy: either to extend a nation’s frontiers at the expense of its neighbours or, conversely, to drive out intruders, whether foreign dynasties or imperial powers.
