Title: The cult of the nation in France
Description: "Using eighteenth-century France as a case study, David Bell offers an important new argument about the origins of nationalism. Before the eighteenth century, the very idea of nation-building - a central component of nationalism - did not exist. During this period, leading French intellectual and political figures came to see perfect national unity as a critical priority, and so sought ways to endow all French people with the same language, laws, customes, and values.

The period thus gave rise to the first large-scale nationalist program in history."--BOOK JACKET.
Subjects: France, French National characteristics, French language, History, Nationalism, Political aspects, Political aspects of French language, Politics and government, Nationalism, france, French language, political aspects, france, National characteristics, french, France, politics and government
Places: France
Time periods: 17th century, 18th century