This article offers a dynamic approach to nationality formation within a multi-ethnic state. Instead of reifying national identities, these are conceptualized as political platforms both determining and determined by the power balance between the state's core and periphery. A simple computational model provides a test-bench for exploring the interaction between material and cultural factors. It is found that the more powerful the centre is compared to the opposition, the more inclusive the latter's national identity needs to be in order to guarantee revolutionary success. The article ends with an application of the theoretical framework to the historical development leading to the creation of Yugoslavia in World War I. The analysis suggests that an ecological selection mechanism war at least partly responsible for the rise of pan-Yugoslavism.
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