Národy nejsou dílem náhody

The book is a synthetic exposition of the processes of nation-creation in 19th century. It attempts to preserve a balance between the use of empirical observations and the results of theoretical analyses of modern social sciences. It rejects one-sided speculations about the nation as a result of manipulation of the masses and emphasizes that the formation of modern nations can only be understood and explained through a combination of findings concerning ethnic, political and economic relations from the medieval period onwards along with findings concerning nationalist activities and attempts at a nationalist mobilization of the population.
In the book's first part, the author gives a critical overview of the hitherto development of opinions and theoretical conceptions concerning the nation and nationalism. In the second part, he deals with objective factors on which national identity is based – linguistic and cultural tradition, reference to the past, the civic and economic modernization of society. The third part is devoted to activities in the name of the nation – linguistic demands, the building of culture, the treatment and instrumentalization of history, struggles for political power and economic position, cultural and emotionally oriented agitation.