Perhaps the central question in our understanding of nationalism is the role of the past in the creation of the present. ... For nationalists themselves, the role of the past is clear and unproblematic. The nation was always there, indeed it is part of the natural order, even when it was submerged in the hearts of its members. (Anthony D. Smith)

Perhaps the central question in our understanding of nationalism is the role of the past in the creation of the present. ... For nationalists themselves, the role of the past is clear and unproblematic. The nation was always there, indeed it is part of the natural order, even when it was submerged in the hearts of its members.

Anthony D. Smith

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central clear nation nationalism natural order past perhaps present question understanding hearts

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