Chimène I. Keitner is an independent scholar who holds a PhD in International Relations from Oxford University.

"…historians will welcome Keitner's sustained analysis of the idea of the nation and be gratified to read a compelling case for the continued relevance of a much-debated historical subject." — Law and History Review"Keitner expertly blends narrative prose with pertinent (and bilingual) primary sources." — NYU Journal of International Law and Politics"…the core of her account proves clarifying and instructive." — CHOICE"Keitner has produced an interesting work, and shown much historical knowledge and a gift for conceptual analysis." — Stanley Hoffmann, author of Gulliver Unbound: America's Imperial Temptation and the War in Iraq"This book is a good example of the use of history to illuminate issues in political theory, and of the contribution that a theoretical perspective can make to the understanding of history." — Jeremy D. Popkin, author of Revolutionary News: The Press in France, 1789–1799

• Acknowledgments Prologue Paris, June 1789Examining the Nation-State PrincipleExploring the French Revolution1. Conception Introduction1.1 Conceptions of the Nation in Eighteenth-Century Polemical Dictionaries1.2 Conceptions of the Nation in Social Contract TheoriesConclusion2. Constitution Introduction2.1 The Entrenchment of the Nation in French Political Rhetoric2.2 The Creation of a National Assembly2.3 The Contribution of the Abbé SieyèsConclusion3. Composition Introduction3.1 Implementing National Sovereignty3.2 Defining National Membership3.3 Consolidating National IdentityConclusion4. Confrontation Introduction4.1 Revolutionary Principles4.2 Revolutionary Policies4.3 Revolutionary PracticeConclusion5. Synthesis Introduction5.1 Drawing Insights from the Four Paradoxes5.2 Re-examining the Nation-State Principle5.3 Exploring Alternatives to Nation-StatismConclusion6. Epilogue—Confrontation Revisited Introduction6.1 Exporting American Ideals6.2 Building an Iraqi DemocracyConclusionConclusions AppendixNotesSelected BibliographyIndex

Chimène I. Keitner is an independent scholar who holds a PhD in International Relations from Oxford University.

"…historians will welcome Keitner's sustained analysis of the idea of the nation and be gratified to read a compelling case for the continued relevance of a much-debated historical subject." — Law and History Review"Keitner expertly blends narrative prose with pertinent (and bilingual) primary sources." — NYU Journal of International Law and Politics"…the core of her account proves clarifying and instructive." — CHOICE"Keitner has produced an interesting work, and shown much historical knowledge and a gift for conceptual analysis." — Stanley Hoffmann, author of Gulliver Unbound: America's Imperial Temptation and the War in Iraq"This book is a good example of the use of history to illuminate issues in political theory, and of the contribution that a theoretical perspective can make to the understanding of history." — Jeremy D. Popkin, author of Revolutionary News: The Press in France, 1789–1799

• Acknowledgments Prologue Paris, June 1789Examining the Nation-State PrincipleExploring the French Revolution1. Conception Introduction1.1 Conceptions of the Nation in Eighteenth-Century Polemical Dictionaries1.2 Conceptions of the Nation in Social Contract TheoriesConclusion2. Constitution Introduction2.1 The Entrenchment of the Nation in French Political Rhetoric2.2 The Creation of a National Assembly2.3 The Contribution of the Abbé SieyèsConclusion3. Composition Introduction3.1 Implementing National Sovereignty3.2 Defining National Membership3.3 Consolidating National IdentityConclusion4. Confrontation Introduction4.1 Revolutionary Principles4.2 Revolutionary Policies4.3 Revolutionary PracticeConclusion5. Synthesis Introduction5.1 Drawing Insights from the Four Paradoxes5.2 Re-examining the Nation-State Principle5.3 Exploring Alternatives to Nation-StatismConclusion6. Epilogue—Confrontation Revisited Introduction6.1 Exporting American Ideals6.2 Building an Iraqi DemocracyConclusionConclusions AppendixNotesSelected BibliographyIndex