Abstract
It is not surprising that Marxist political thought has not been a frequent topic for research in Central and Eastern Europe since 1989, as it was connected very closely to the official worldview of the previous regime. An unfortunate confusion between Marxism (the theoretical thinking of Marx and Engels) and communism (an attempt to implement Marxism in a Soviet way) led to the conviction that Marxist political theory, as an overthrown principle, is useless and uninteresting ("buried in the ash heap of history," according to the Marxist way of thinking).
However, it is very legitimate - from a historical and philosophical point of view - to study Marxism critically as an integral part of philosophical thinking of the 19th century, because it is undeniable that this philosophical stream influenced the perception of society in its time. Allowing that the class structure of society is the most important concept in Marxist doctrine, it is still necessary to ask to what extent Marx acknowledged alternative concepts of collective identity.
One of the most confusing questions in this respect is the Marxist relation to nationalism, because of the tension between the international nature of the anticipated working class revolution and the reality of European national identities. This dilemma brings the traditional thesis of the anti-national or "nationless" nature of Marxism into question.
Hence it is reasonable to consider the possibility of a coherent doctrine of "Marxist nationalism," as well as whether national identity would be a principle commensurate with a Marxist way of thinking.