Understanding Historical Context in Lodge’s Article

For the correct interpretation of historical sources, it is always essential to understand the context of the time to which they refer. Lodge wrote his article at the end of the nineteenth century, when the First World War had not yet taken place, European imperialism was still strong, and there were no particular prerequisites for its end. This time should be considered the final stage in the formation of national identity and nation-states. Society has already gone through the industrial revolution, and religion plays a much smaller role than before. People no longer divide themselves into groups according to confessions. They do it on a new basis – a nationality. It may seem paradoxical, but in fact, imperialism and nationalism often go hand in hand. European empires, through their policies, consolidated the cultural dominance of the titular nation over the colonies, which has always been a sore subject for the United States. Because of their colonial past and diverse ethnic composition, the idea of ​​European imperialism was, in principle, alien to the Americans. However, the need for the emergence of a national identity, on the basis of which the patriotism of citizens could be built, was still felt. The government adhered to the idea of a “melting pot”, which was supposed to create a new American nation from the former British, French, and Germans. Lodge likely felt the weakness of his state in the absence of a national idea. He believed that the European powers would pose a threat to the United States due to their more significant cultural consolidation. In his article, imperial narratives are felt. Examples are when he talks about the need for the United States to “line up” with Europe and “maintain commerce supremacy in the Pacific.” Lodge makes extensive use of typically nationalistic rhetoric such as “pride of the nation and race”. However, his article does not explicitly call for the formation of colonies by the United States or any other cultural expansion that is an integral part of imperialism. It is possible that Lodge was only worried about the security of his state, resorting to the methods of the time. In any case, it has now become clear that his methods of competing with empires turned out to be erroneous. Most of the European empires collapsed in the 20th century on their own and without external help, leaving the hegemony in the Western world to the United States.