The Jewish nationalist Theodor Herzl, inspired the holding of the First Zionist Congress in Basle in 1897, whereby Palestine was declared as their national home. By 1914, European nationalistic ideas had spread worldwide, which resulted to the development, competition, and threatening of empires headed by colonial European nation states (Medlicott, 219).
In the years between 1780 and 1914, there was an immense upheaval in the world of ideas in all spheres of life including political, economic, cultural, and social spheres. This was a period of time when men exuded audacity in their thinking, composers produced adventurous pieces of music, and painters painted revolutionary canvases. The new ideas of this period ideas, whether expressed in art, music, or words, reflected a sense of belonging and nationalism in different ways. As the European powers sought out territorial expansion in different parts of the continent, they also worked tirelessly to spread their cultural, religious and political ideologies, which they believed were superior (Schroeder 144). Politics in most European countries revolved around national policy, religion and the economy. Britain remained did not form any alliances in the late 19th century. It was possible for the British Empire to maintain independence because of its strong industrial base, its dominant position in trade and finance, and its dominant navy. Britain practiced free trade and avoided tariffs. Through internal politics, Gladstone's Liberals withdrew Dsraeli's Conservatives who were in support of the atrocities propagated by the Ottoman Empire. Dsrael had partnered with the Ottoman Empire to threaten war on Russia. However, Gladstone condemned Dsrael's moves as immoral and that God had spoken to him to aid the Bulgarians and Serbians. Britain as whole, and in particular the evangelical components massively supported Gladstone. Eventually, Gladstone established himself as a pillar of moral strength across Europe and resumed power after unifying his party.
