Nationalism, War and Emotions

This themed section explores the intricate relationship between nationalism, war, and emotions, drawing from a 2023 conference in Copenhagen on these themes. The selected articles engage critically with the transformative dynamics of nationalism in the context of military victories and defeats. Ute Frevert's article introduces the concept of ‘emotional economy,’ elucidating how honour, shame, and humiliation are strategically manipulated to shape national identities and narratives. Morten Nordhagen Ottesen examines the rise and fall of political Scandinavianism, highlighting how fear and existential anxieties shaped the 19th-century Scandinavian nationalist movements, while challenging the myths of ‘Nordic exceptionalism.’ Rasmus Glenthøj proposes a realist theory of nationalism, integrating international relations and political agency into the study of nationalist movements, critiquing the limitations of Gellner's and Hobsbawm's theories. Together, these contributions emphasise the importance of emotions, agency, and historical context in understanding nationalism. They reject state-centric and determinist approaches, advocating for nuanced analyses that recognise nationalism's role in both fostering unity and driving conflict. As contemporary geopolitics echo 19th-century multipolar power dynamics, this section underscores the enduring relevance of nationalism studies in interpreting the emotional and political forces shaping our world.