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Historisk tidskrift 125:1 • 2005

Innehåll (Contents) 2005:1

Uppsatser (Articles)

Boermetaforen i Rudolf Kjelléns nationalism

Jan-Gunnar Rosenblad & Gundel Söderholm

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Summary

The Boer Metaphor in Rudolf Kjellén’s Idea of Nationalism

Rudolf Kjellén was one of Sweden’s best known nationalists at the turn of the 19th century. In this article we argue that his idea of nationalism was distinctly reflected in his attitudes towards the Boers. We also argue that he used the Boers as a metaphor and as a model for the Swedish people. Within Kjellén’s nationalism, as far as the Boers are concerned, we can find elements of social darwinism and agrarian conservatism. He praised Boer nationalism, but in his aim to strengthen Swedish nationalism Kjellén told not their real but their mythological history.

Kjellén applied social darwinism to the international system and considered warfare to be the natural state of nations. Struggle and suffering were essential to national survival and development. The heroic warfare of the Boers proved their right to exist as a nation. When Kjellén wrote about the Boers, he used a literary style similar to the adventure story.

Kjellén favoured the rural way of life, based upon strong family bonds and religion. He stressed the resemblance between the ideal Swedish peasant and the ideal Boer. He admired the old fashioned Boer culture and the Boers’ ability to protect themselves from modern and international influences. In Kjellén’s view of the Boers there existed ideals of a “Blut-und-Boden” as well as a ”Kinder, Küche, Kirche” mentality. Kjellén believed that decreasing birthrates meant national regression and that the unwillingness to reproduce the people meant national catastrophe. Like many contemporary Swedes, Kjellén was impressed by the Boer women’s ability to give birth to many children. Accordingly, Kjellén did not approve of women’s emancipation. He never talked about women’s participation in the pro-Boer movement. Nevertheless he wrote with admiration about the Boer women and their fighting during “The Great Trek” and the Boer War.

Kjellén’s attitude towards modernity was complex. He stressed the importance of traditions and disliked the urban, cosmopolitan lifestyle. But at the same time he accepted modern technology. When talking about the Boers however, he appears to be entirely anti-modernist. He contrasted the Boers with the British. In Kjellén’s opinion, Great Britain represented modernity including cosmopolitan culture and international capitalism.

In Sweden, many social democrats as well as many liberals were great admirers of the Boers and like Kjellén they disapproved of international capitalism. However, the basis of their ideology was pro-British, while Kjellén was anti-British, becoming instead fascinated by Wilhelmian Germany and its national strength.

Kjellén’s thoughts about the Boers display many similarities with fascist and nazi ideology. But this is true in many respects for the whole of the Swedish pro- Boer movement, which included both social democrats and liberals. The explanation of which might be that they all shared a eurocentric point of view.