8 NAROD
abrupt end. In so far as the descendants of the citizens of the Polish-Lithuanian
Republic were incorporated into the states of Russia, Prussia, or Austria, the
material aspects of their lives form subjects not for Polish History but for
Russian, Prussian, or Austrian History. At the same time, new themes assume
unprecedented importance. In the realm of political and international action,
Poland emerged at the most in sporadic fits. But in the realm of political ideas,
it occupied a position of uninterrupted importance. For Poland was now an
Idea. It existed in men's minds, even if it could not always be observed on the
ground or in the material world. Henceforward, the historian of Poland must
focus his attention more on men's beliefs and aspirations. In particular, in polit-
ical affairs, he must examine the central phenomenon of the growth of the Polish
nation—a theme to which, in the absence of a Polish state, all others must be
subordinated.
For Nationality is essentially a belief - a deep sense of conviction concerning
one's personal identity. It is not inherent in human kind, and in European life is
hard to discover at any period prior to the French Revolution. In the nineteenth
and twentieth centuries, it has developed out of all previous proportions, and in
some areas of the world, such as Eastern Europe, has come to dominate all
aspects of political and social life. Unfortunately, if the cynics are to be trusted,
it is a belief which is based on mistaken criteria. As Ernest Renan once
remarked, 'a nation is a community united by common error with regard to its
origins, and by common aversion with regard to its neighbours.' At all events,
the modern Nation can only be effectively defined as a social group whose indi-
vidual members, being convinced rightly or wrongly of their common descent
and destiny, share that common sense of identity. National consciousness
relates to the degree of people's awareness of belonging to their nation.
Nationalism, in consequence, is a doctrine shared by all political movements
which seek to create a nation by arousing people's awareness of their national-
ity, and to mobilize their feelings into a vehicle for political action. In this sense,
a nationalist is someone who approves or advocates the aims of Nationalism.^5
Anglo-Saxon readers need to be warned against the complexities which beset
the terminology of this subject. Leaving aside the fact that many writers use
terms such as 'nation', 'nationality', 'people', 'race', and 'state' indiscriminately,
with no thought for their precise meanings, it is essential to realize that usage
varies widely. Both the British and the Americans belong to political commun-
ities where the growth of the modern nation has been patronized by the ruling
authorities of the state, and where as a result, 'nationality' has been systematic-
ally confused with 'citizenship'. Americans in particular tend to talk of 'the
nation' as a synonym for the 'citizens', the 'inhabitants of the country', the
'population', or even 'the territory' of the state. In the English language, 'nation-
ality' refers less to an individual's private convictions, but rather to official-
dom's estimate of his fitness to acquire the legal status of a citizen. It is
something which one acquires not by reflecting on one's personal beliefs, but by
applying to the Home Office or to the Department of Immigration. In this sense,