Thommo wrote:Short answer is that I don't know. All I can say is that removing borders didn't seem to do a lot of good in that time and place, the way it was done.
I would agree with that. How unification is done, will impact greatly on how unified your nation is in the long run. The unification of Ireland with England via application of military force for centuries is an example of how to create more rather than less division between people. The unification of England and Scotland didn't come about through military force but, because the lines of succession meant a Scottish King was in the position of being able to put the two nations together politically.
Thommo wrote:Maybe, to an extent.
Yes. I don't want to give the impression that movement is the be all and end all but, its importance is hard to ignore. Movement within a nation isn't about opening borders but, about mechanical and social developments which have facilitated people moving around further and further from home than they used to.