Saga - 2002, Síða 99

BRESK STJÓRNMÁL í LJÓSI ÍSLENSKRAR MENNINGAR 97
Paterson, T.G., „The Political Crisis in Iceland - to the Editor of The Titnes", The
Times 13. október 1886, bls. 4.
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(Oxford, 1987).
Thomton, A.P., The lmperial Ideas and its Enemies. A Study in British Power (New
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Summary
Iceland in the Political Thinking of
Nineteenth-Century Britain
In contrast to French and German theorising on nations and nationalism
in the 19th century, British writings on the subject seem essentially practi-
cal and methodologically weak. Yet there was and had been considerable
interest in contemporary foreign politics among British intellectuals, par-
ticularly in Greek and Italian affairs. Although not as popular a subject as
was the Greek war of independence and the unification of Italy, Danish
tule over Iceland and the Icelandic fight for independence did receive
some attention in Britain in the second half of the nineteenth century, as
revealed in travel literature, newspaper articles and parliamentary
speeches. Largely based on snapshot impressions, British interpretations
can be described as general and superficial rather than profound and ana-
lytical. If set in a well defined context of British political history, however,
such sentiments take on more shape and meaning. The intersection of
British and Icelandic politics in the course of the discussion on Home Rule
for Ireland is a case in point. The analogy between Ireland and Iceland ini-
tially made its way into the Irish question through the Undersecretary of
Foreign Affairs, James Bryce, who passed it on to the Prime Minister,
William E. Gladstone. Like any British discussion on Icelandic politics
from the period, references and reflections by Bryce and Gladstone reveal
little about Icelandic political history. They do contribute to understand-
ing a question of major historical debate: Gladstone's motive to accept the
principle of Home Rule for Ireland. Here, three different explanations
have been proposed. First, that Gladstone's policy was essentially about
reorganising the Liberal party, with the Irish question taking precedence
over all other political issues. Secondly, that the Home Rule bill did not
represent a new policy but was simply a logical step from the land
reforms Gladstone had achieved earlier. The third view, and the tradi-
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