Forging the Nation‐centric World: Imperial Rule and the Homogenisation of Discontent in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1878–1918)

Abstract

Historical sociologists have questioned the idea that nationalism and imperialism are mutually exclusive phenomena. In contrast to traditional historiography that depicted empires as 'the prison houses of nations' contemporary scholarship emphasises the structural and ideological ambiguities that characterised the 19th century European imperial projects. Hence instead of 'popular longings' for national independence the focus has shifted to the experiences of 'national indifference'. In this paper I aim to go beyond this dichotomy by questioning the role of (nationalist) agency in the collapse of imperial order. Drawing on the primary archival research I zoom in on the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina under the Austro-Hungarian rule . The paper contests the view that the imperial state was severely undermined by the presence of strong nationalisms. I also challenge the notion that the majority of Bosnian population remained 'nationally indifferent' during this period.Instead, I argue that understanding the character of the Austro-Hungarian rule is a much better predictor of social change that took place in this period. Rather than stifling supposedly vibrant nationalisms or operating amidst widespread national indifference the imperial state played a decisive role in forging the nation-centric world through its inadvertent homogenisation of discontent.

War as the catalyst of nationalism, or, the demise of the Habsburg, Romanov and Ottoman empires

“…Nonetheless, it is worth stressing again that there was little justification for believing that the Serbs of Bosnia were any sort of immediate threat, especially given increased loyalty from the province's Muslims landowners, both because their resistance to Austrian troops in 1878 had led to concessions and because they were well aware of the fate of their co-religionists during the Balkans war (Maleševic ´, 2021). It is important also to realize that Gavrilo Princip and his colleagues formed a weird miniscule group (Maleševic ´, 2017).…”

Regional Classification of Serbian Railway Transport System Through Efficient Synthetic Indicator

“…The contemporary study reveals the structural and ideological ambiguities that characterised the 19th-century European imperial endeavours, in contrast to traditional historiography that portrayed empires as "the prison houses of nations." Therefore, the emphasis has changed from "popular longings" for national independence to "national indifference" situations [4]. The growth of railway infrastructure in Serbia has occurred rather organically due to a deliberate approach to that nation's economic development [5].…”