1. Instructor: PhDr. et Mgr. Kryštof Kozák, PhD.
Political Geography JMMZ108, JMMZ History of political geography, nation state
Instructor:
PhDr. et Mgr. Kryštof Kozák, PhD.

2. Why study political geography? Reminder:

3. Formation of nation states:
Sovereign political (power) control of a specific territory
Max Weber: state has the monopoly on the legitmate use of force (police, bankruptcy code)
Charles Tilly: comparison with the street gant: taxation, protection of territory from rival gangs, resolution of disputes – “keeping order”

4. Europa Virgo, cca 1550, S. Münster
Pre-Westphalia:
Power of local noblemen
Church outside of regular jurisdiction
Permeable borders
City-states

5. Modern (nation) state Peace of Westphalia, 1648 Sovereignty
State interest
Groundbreaking in relations between political power and territory

6. State as the main analytical unit (map from 1870)

7. Eugene Delacroix, 1830

8. Manifest Destiny
1872 John Gast: American Progress

9. Great Grandfather Czech (brother of Lech and Rus)

10. Birth of Czechoslovakia, 1918

11. Germania, 1848
Nationalism in Germany

13. Nationalism in United States

14. Dark side of nationalism:

15. National identity Debate about necessary traits: Common language?
Common history?
Common territory?
Common government?
Common culture?
Common ancestry?
Common religion?

16. Anthony D. Smith – conditions for birth of a nation:
Fixed homeland (current or historical)
High autonomy
Hostile surroundings
Memories of battles
Sacred centers
Languages and scripts
Special customs
Historical records and thinking

17. Formation of nations
When? End of 18th century? From France? From America?
Ernest Gellner – Nations and Nationalism (1983) – need for standardization, industrial revolution
“The project of nationalism creates the nation.”
Miroslav Hroch: On the Brink of Nation’s Existence. Praha: MF 1999.
Nationalism before industrial revolution

18. Benedict Anderson (*1936) Imagined Communities (1983) Paradoxes:
Why is nationalism so emotionally and politicallly powerful?
Marxism vs. nacionalism
Universal concept of naiton vs. particular nation
Political power vs. conceptually vague
Modern nations vs. long historical memory

19. Benedict Anderson (*1936) Imagined Communities (1983)
Importance of symbolic construction, fiction
"an imagined political community [that is] imagined as both inherently limited and sovereign”
no face to face interactions
capitalism, printing press, diverse languages

20. Nationalism and political geography
Conflict over territory with other nations, symbolic reasons, ethnic cleansing.
One political government for all members of one “nation”.

21. Nacionalism and political geography
Self-determination of nations v. terrorism
Change of borders vs. protection of territorial integrity? s

22. Practical problems with self-determination
1917 – Woodrow Wilson – it will ensure peace
- Czechoslovakia?
Kosovo vs. Abkhazia and South Ossetia
Kurdistan
- Who has the right to declare independence? What should be the criteria?