Pan-Slavism
From Freepedia
Pan-Slavism was a movement in the mid 19th century aimed at unity of all the Slavic people. The main focus was in the Balkans where Southern Slavs had been ruled over by the two great empires, Austria and the Ottoman Empire. It was also used as political tool by Russian Empire and Soviet Union.
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Origins
Although pan-Slavic ideas were first expounded by Juraj Krizanic in the mid-17th century, full-scale Pan-Slavism began much like Pan-Germanism, both of which grew from the sense of unity and Nationalism experienced within ethnic groups under the domination of France during the Napoleonic Wars. Like other Romantic nationalist movements, Slavic intellectuals and scholars in the developing fields of history, philology, and folklore actively encouraged the passion of their shared identity and ancestry. Pan-Slavism also co-existed with the Southern Slavic independence.
Commonly used symbols of the Pan-Slavic movement were the Pan-Slavic colours (red, white and blue) and the Pan-Slavic anthem, Hey, Slavs.
The movement began following the end of the wars in 1815. In the aftermath, the european leaders sought to restore the pre-war status quo. Austria's representative in the Congress of Vienna, Metternich, felt the threat to this status quo in Austria was the nationalists demanding independence from the empire. While their subjects were composed of numberous ethnic groups (such as Italians, Romanians, Hungarians, etc), most of the subjects were Slavs.
The first Pan-Slav convention was held in Prague, Bohemia in 1848 while the Southern Slavic movement was active after Serbia regained independence from Turkish Ottoman Empire. Meanwhile, Austria pursued its extremely repressive domestic policies to curb the nationalists, which Austria feared that would endangered their empire.
Pan-Slavism in Central Europe
The first Pan-Slavic convention was held in Prague in 1848 and was specifically both anti-Austrian and anti-Russian. Pan-Slavism has some supporters among Czech politicians but never gained dominant influence, possibly other than treating Czechs and Slovaks as branches of a single nation.
Pan-Slavism was used as propaganda tool by Russian Empire during World War I. Captured Slavic soldiers were asked to fight against "oppressive" Austrian Empire: some did (see Czechoslovak Legions).
Creation of an independent Czechoslovakia made the old ideals of Pan-Slavism anachronic. Relations with other Slavic states varied, sometimes being tense. Even tensions between Czechs and Slovaks had appeared.
Establishment of Eastern Bloc after World War II and especially Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1968 made Pan-Slavism ridiculed and dead. Resentment of cultural and economical dominance of Czechs by Slovaks led to dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993.
Pan-Slavism in the Balkans
Pan-Slavism in the south was vastly different, instead it often turned to Russia for support. The Southern Slavic movement advocated the independence of the Slavic peoples in Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire. The Serbian people sought to unite all of the Southern, Balkan Slavs under their rule. Serbia, just having gained independence, was a small nascent state. Whereas the Austro-Hungarian Empire, though unstable, was still a strong opponent to Serbia. In this circumstance, the idea of Russia involving the Southern Slavic unity was favored.
The Southern Slavs were some of the first to revolt against the decaying Ottoman Empire. In 1806 and again in 1815, the Serbs secured their independence from the Ottomans. Almost immediately after Serbia's independence, the Serbs began seeking expansion and unity of all the Southern Slavs under Serbian rule.
A successful emancipation there would result in the disintegration of the Austrian Empire; Austria therefore pursued an aggressive response to these challenges with its extremely repressive domestic policies. This was one of the causes for initiating the World War I.
After World War I the creation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, under Serbian royalty, did unite most Southern Slavs. The problem that Yugoslavia would face was the Serb domination in the kingdom.
Pan-Slavism in Poland
Poland is a country that generally has been the most hostile towards Pan-Slavism given its long struggle for freedom from Russia, one of the trio in partitioning their homeland. The only time in history when it attempted to create a state with other Western Slavic nations was in the 11th century when the king of Poland Boleslaw Chrobry annexed Bohemia and Moravia attempting to incorporate them into the Polish kingdom. It did not work and those entities soon regained autonomy. Poland often preferred to ally itself with non-Slavic nations such as Hungary or Lithuania as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1569 to 1795. Poland also tended to polonize the Slavic and non-Slavic populations on territories it controlled rather than discuss any potential deals on a possible all-Slavic state. The 19th century Pan-Slavism influence had little impact in Poland except for sympathy towards the other oppressed Slavic nations in regaining independence (but not to the extent of creating a Pan-Slavic state or even federation). After Poland regained its independence (from Prussia, Austria and Russia) in 1918 no major or minor force considered Pan-Slavism as a serious alternative, even despite the constant danger of germanization. During Poland's communist era the USSR used Pan-slavism as propaganda tool to justify its control over the country. After 1989 the issue of the Pan-Slavism has completely fallen out of the political agenda, and is widely seen as ideology of Russian imperialism.
Modern day developments
The idea of unity of the Slavic people was all but gone after World War II. With failures in establishing and harmonizing within Pan-Northern (Czechoslovakia) or Pan-Southern (Yugoslavia) Slavic state, the idea of Pan-Slavic unity is considered dead. Varying relations between the Slavic countries existed nowadays; Generally such countries with good relationship have mutual respect on equal footing and sympathy towards one another. None, other than culture and heritage oriented organizations, are currently considered as a form of approachment among the countries of Slavic Europe.
See also
- Slavophile
- Anti-Slavism
- Austroslavism
- Pan-nationalism
- Mikhail Chernyayev, Nikolay Danilevsky, Konstantin Leontiev - Pan-Slavic Russians
- Brotherhood of Saints Cyril and Methodius - for Pan-Slavism in Ukraine
