Abstract
The theoretical framework of "nations with and without history", presented by Engels in Neue Rheinische Zeitung, which helped him to identify the desired revolutionary movements, represents a key part of Marxist attitude towards nationalism. However, their interpretation of national identities still can be considered as one of the most controversial issues of the whole theory of Marx and Engels, because its universal ambitions cause that their statements about national question can be read contradictorily.
This is notably obvious in their attitude towards national aspirations of Slavs that were denounced as reactionary in the case of Austrian Slavs, whereas the efforts of Poles were appreciated as an integral part of social revolution. This ambivalence oscillating between zealous support and racist offenses raises the question, whether Marxist attitudes were based on primordial ideas of different quality of human species or on diverse social roles within the principles of historical determinism.
Moreover, clarification of this question enables us to decide if there was a coherent Marxist approach to Slavonic ethnicity at all.