Military culture can play an important role in the rise of modern nationalism, as developments in late nineteenth and early twentieth century Spain demonstrate. Like many Europeans, Spanish army officers turned increasingly to nationalist ideology as they lost faith in the ability of liberal institutions to meet their needs. Because Spain, where army officers had much influence on politics and society, lacked other strong movements of modern, Castile-centred nationalism, military culture had a significant and long-lasting influence on the subsequent development of notions of Spanish national identity. The case of turn-of-the-century Spanish military nationalism lends credence to a general understanding of nationalism as a political phenomenon in which the state plays a central role.