inherent basis of sovereignty. Expressions such as "the British race" or "the German race" became common by the late 19th century.
In Western Europe, where proto-nationalist feelings had often been developing for centuries (and had been encouraged by governments), perceived nations corresponded more or less to states. The British spoke English, the French spoke French; and after 1871 Germans spoke German and Italians spoke Italian. Further east, however, the correspondence of state to "nation" broke down. The empire of the Hapsburgs was centered in (German-speaking) Austria, but its people spoke a variety of languages, with no one language or cultural heritage predominating -- naval officers found it necessary to speak six or seven (Preston 12). The empire could not be characterized as a nation, and was not felt to be one by most of its peoples.
Prior to the spread of nationalist ideology, th
...