Nationale beginselen? Een transnationale geschiedenis van politiek en grondwet in de negentiende eeuw

Abstract

National Principles? A Transnational History of Politics and the Constitution in the Nineteenth CenturyHow ‘national’ was the political history of the nineteenth century? This question is relevant because it relates to a century steeped in nation-building and nationalism. The article examines both the historiography and the transnational traffic of models for a constitutional order. Paradoxically, it was precisely during this century of nationalism that, more than ever before, the political and constitutional models were of a transnational nature. In general, the Netherlands evolved into an international trend-hopper during the nineteenth century. This also applied to the constitutional process. And yet, against the background of this general trend, the Dutch constitution of 1814/1815 and that of 1848 remained relatively original and were crafted on the basis of the national scene. Moreover, although British, French and Belgian models did indeed feature in the discussions leading up to the revision of the 1848 constitution, they did not play a prominent role. This study invites the audience to reflect upon the nature of ‘national’ as far as this relates to political history and the explanatory frameworks used for it.