Clausewitz is dead

Nationalism is one of the enduring ideas released and nurtured by the French Revolution and Napoleon’s armies. The nation was central to the wars of the last two-hundred years. The centre of a nation was a shared homogeneous culture combined with a unitary state. Major themes of the last quarter century are ‘globalisation’ (and associated uniformity) and the porousness of borders. The southern European and North African coastlines are notable illustrations.  It is suggested that this statement is supported by observation of the ethnic range in any British city and the developing difficulty to describe ‘Britishness’ that is relevant to contemporary culture and society.  In combination, these two influences are a challenge to the strength of the traditional description of nation. If this line of thought is correct, Britain, in the sense of a discreet culture and society, could not now be a party to a national war. If global migration corrodes the core of cultural distinction, wars between nations will not occur. The other possible casus belli are competition for strategic territory or for natural resources; conflict to support or defend a standard of life; conflict for an ideological principle. Is the state as a meaningful entity dead?

Contributor Geoff Williams. Sempringham eLearning Office