In both political science and international relations, the understanding of the ideology of nationalism as well as the emergence, nature and legitimacy of contemporary nation-states is of crucial importance. Without an interpretation of the dynamics of these phenomena, political issues ranging from sovereignty to power relationships and from regional co-operation to violent conflicts (inter or intra-state) become completely incomprehensible. The course is an introduction to nationalism, focusing especially but not exclusively on the European experience. It aims to familiarize students with all theoretical paradigms of nationalism and also to evaluate their explanatory power with references to a number of case–studies. Particular emphasis is also given to the consequences of nationalism, both positive (democracy and capitalism) and negative (stereotypes, feelings of superiority etc.).