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Reappraising Communism and Nationalism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2018

Martin Mevius
Martin Mevius*
Affiliation:
University of Amsterdam, Leerstoelgroep Oost Europese Geschiedenisen Oost Europakunde, Spuistraat 134, 1012 VB, Armsterdam, The Netherlands. Email: m.mevius@uva.nl
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Extract

There are two popular myths concerning the relationship between communism and nationalism. The first is that nationalism and communism are wholly antagonistic and mutually exclusive. The second is the assertion that in communist Eastern Europe nationalism was oppressed before 1989, to emerge triumphant after the Berlin Wall came down. Reality was different. Certainly from 1945 onwards, communist parties presented themselves as heirs to national traditions and guardians of national interests. The communist states of Central and Eastern Europe constructed “socialist patriotism,” a form of loyalty to their own state of workers and peasants. Up to 1989, communists in Eastern Europe sang the national anthem, and waved the national flag next to the red banner. The use of national images was not the exception, but the rule. From Cuba to Korea, all communist parties attempted to gain national legitimacy. This was not incidental or a deviation from Marxist orthodoxy, but ingrained in the theory and practice of the communist movement since its inception.

Type
Articles
Information
Nationalities Papers , Volume 37 , Issue 4 , July 2009 , pp. 377 - 400
Copyright
Copyright © 2009 Association for the Study of Nationalities 

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