Final answer:
Napoleon's domination of Europe helped spread nationalism as it encouraged oppressed peoples to reject French rule and culture, fostering a sense of national identity rooted in their own history and traditions. While his reforms challenged old hierarchies, they also spurred the formation of modern nation-states.
Step-by-step explanation:
The domination of Europe by Napoleon's empire was a complex phenomenon that had a profound impact on the development of nationalism outside of France. While the Napoleonic regime did impose French cultural and political norms across its territories, its legacy was not a simple assimilation of French ways. Instead, the widespread resistance against Napoleon's rule, along with the imposition of direct French control, served to stoke the fires of nationalism. Oppressed peoples began to conceive of themselves not just as subjects to a ruler but as part of a broader national community with common interests and identity. The elite classes and nobility in particular, whose power was threatened by Napoleonic reforms, had an interest in fostering this sense of nationalism to rally support against French rule.
Moreover, by promoting legal equality and undermining traditional hierarchical structures, Napoleon inadvertently set the stage for his subjects to think along national lines. The invaded nations did not merely adopt French culture; in fact, they often rejected it in favor of their own. This backlash against foreign domination and the imposed reforms led to a stronger identification with local customs and traditions, which in turn formed the basis for modern nationalist movements. For instance, the insurrections in Spain in 1808, the struggles of Austria and Prussia, and the British pride at resisting Napoleon all mirrored the sentiments of national resilience and self-determination taking root as a counterweight to his empire.
Napoleon's reign, therefore, while spreading some of the ideals of the French Revolution, also had the unintended consequence of promoting the concept of nationalism among the peoples of Europe. Despite his expansionist ambitions, his actions laid the groundwork for the emergence of nation-states united by a shared history, culture, and language rather than loyalty to a monarch or an external empire.