Nationalist movements in Europe led to the rise of new nations. The borders of the new nations were usually defined on the basis of similarities in the cultures and languages of their people.
Image Source: backdoorbroadcasting.net
New nations could thus preserve and promote their respective languages and cultures without being suppressed by any dominant cultural group. This led to a flourishing of languages and cultures.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The unity of language and culture promoted patriotism among the people, giving new vigour to the development and progress of their nations. Most of the new nations, being influenced by liberalism, went through rapid industrialisation and urbanisation.
Most of the multicultural empires under autocratic rulers did not enjoy the benefits of nationalism and liberalism. Although some of these empires survived into the twentieth century, they lagged behind in development.