6.1 The principle of national self-determination

National self-determination emerged as a powerful force shaping modern politics. Born from revolutionary ideals, it empowered nations to choose their own destinies. This concept reshaped Europe after World War I and sparked global independence movements.

Wilson's Fourteen Points brought self-determination to the world stage. It guided post-war peace talks, redrew borders, and inspired colonized peoples. But applying this principle proved challenging, raising questions about nationhood and minority rights.

Origins and Concept of National Self-Determination

Concept of national self-determination

Top images from around the web for Concept of national self-determination

• 

  ww1-1920s - Political View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Introduction | United States History I View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Nationalism - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  ww1-1920s - Political View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Introduction | United States History I View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Concept of national self-determination

• 

  ww1-1920s - Political View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Introduction | United States History I View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Nationalism - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  ww1-1920s - Political View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Introduction | United States History I View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• Core principle empowers nations to determine their political destiny without external control
• Rooted in French and American Revolutions propagating ideas of popular sovereignty and rejecting monarchical rule
• 19th-century nationalist movements (Italian Risorgimento, German unification) further developed the concept
• Philosophical foundations draw from Rousseau's general will and Mill's arguments for representative government
• Evolved from dynastic to national principle in international relations influencing post-WWI peace settlements

Impact of Wilson's Fourteen Points

• Wilson's Fourteen Points (1918) articulated self-determination principles for colonial claims, Austria-Hungary, and Poland
• Envisioned post-war order based on "peace without victory" and international cooperation
• Shaped Paris Peace Conference (1919) redrawing European borders along ethnic lines and creating new nation-states
• Inspired anti-colonial movements globally and influenced League of Nations mandate system

Challenges and Consequences of Self-Determination

Challenges of self-determination application

• Defining "nation" and "people" complicated by ambiguous ethnic, linguistic, and cultural criteria
• Protecting minority rights within new nation-states to prevent discrimination or forced assimilation
• Ensuring economic viability of newly formed states considering resource access and industrial development
• Balancing geopolitical considerations including great power interests and strategic importance of territories
• Resolving conflicts between self-determination and territorial integrity in secession movements

Self-determination vs imperial dissolution

• Major empires (Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, Russian) dissolved creating new states (Austria, Hungary, Turkey) and mandates
• Versailles Treaty and subsequent agreements redrew borders based on national lines using plebiscites for disputed regions
• Imperial collapse created power vacuum in Central and Eastern Europe fueling rise of ethno-nationalism
• Mandate system established League of Nations oversight of former colonies for gradual independence preparation
• Long-term effects included persistent ethnic tensions and seeds of future conflicts (Yugoslav Wars)