Nationalism was an important factor in the development of Europe. In the 19th century, a wave of nationalism swept the continent of Europe transforming the countries of the continent. Some new countries, such as Germany and Italy were formed by uniting smaller states with a common "national identity". Others, such as Romania, Greece, Poland and Bulgaria, were formed by winning their independence.The French Revolution paved the way for the modern nation-state and also had a big part in the birth of nationalism. |