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In Eastern Europe, the national minorities of the Russian, Austro-Hungarian and German Empires began to push for their rights in the 19th and early 20th centuries and this culminated in many new nation states being formed between 1815 and 1920. Ireland too did the same and became independent in 1922.

Yet in Western Europe, most minorities in the then multi-lingual states of France, Spain and the United Kingdom didn't flex their muscles in the same way, or to a lesser degree and for the most part ended up completely absorbed by the dominant group within their state.

For example, in France, just over 40% of citizens spoke a minority language (ie; non Langue d'oil) and these included Occitan, Breton, Corsican etc. As far as I know there have never been any highly successful movement for autonomy or language rights and instead these groups have been almost entirely absorbed into the French Nation.

In Spain and the British Isles (excluding Ireland), the national minorities (ie non-English and Non-Castilians) were not absorbed to the same extent as the minorities in France were but their languages are for the most part have declined in usage and they certainly didn't become independent nation states.

Thus, in Eastern Europe, the trend for national minorities was towards greater recognition and then independence while in Western Europe the opposite trend happened; they were for the most part absorbed.
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