Describe any five features of the ‘Go East Movement’.

 

It can be said that culture, music, dance and religion played an important role in the

development of nationalism in Europe:

i. The role of culture was important in the sense that it instilled among the people of

Europe an idea of a shared heritage. The ultimate result of this was the development of nationalism. Art, poetry and music, all helped in expressing nationalist feelings among the people. Romanticism, in particular, was a cultural movement which contributed a great deal in this process. Romantic artists and poets criticised the glorification of reason and science and instead focused on emotions and intuition.

ii. Language also played an important role. After the Russian occupation, the Polish language was forced out of schools and Russian was imposed everywhere. In 1831, an armed rebellion against Russian rule took place which was later crushed. After this, many members of the Polish clergy began to use language as a weapon of national resistance.

iii. The Romantic German philosopher Herder said that true German culture was to be found among the common people – das volk. Folk songs, folk poetry and dances further popularised the idea of nation.