Hegemonic Internationalism, Pursuit of National Interests?
Hegemonic Internationalism, Pursuit of National Interests? Hegemonic internationalism by definition is a paradox within itself. Internationalism suggests cooperation among nations for common good, while hegemony is an instance when one nation has power over another nation. This leads to the belief that hegemonic internationalism is, in reality, one nation pursuing its own national interests at the expense of other nation. Nazi Germany, Iran and the United States are all examples of a nation pursuing hegemonic internationalism. Hitler ultimately wanted to establish a New Order of absolute Nazi German hegemony in Europe. To achieve this, he pursued a foreign policy with the declared goal of seizing Lebensraum ("living space") for the Aryan people; directing the resources of the state towards this goal. This included the rearmament of Germany, which was utilized in 1939 when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. In response, the United Kingdom and France declared war against Germany, leading to the outbreak of World War II in Europe. There are many forms of hegemonic internationalism and Nazi Germany pursued this by the most obvious way possible: by invading them for the “good of Germany”. This solidifies the belief that hegemonic internationalism is, in reality, one nation pursuing its own national interests at the expense of another nation. Hitler did what he believed would make Germany “better” regardless of what other nations national interests were. One of the main Nazi ideologies was that the Jewish people were the main cause of their problems. Hitler, using the policy of hegemonic internationalism; as he was invading the continent of Europe, rounded up 6 million Jews and had them killed in concentration camps. This is the worst case and the most extreme outcome of hegemonic internationalism, in which 6 million people died because one nation thought that it was for the good of their national interests. Iran’s aspirations for hegemonic internationalism stem from
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"Nazi Germany". History Learning. April 16th 2010
"Iraq Conspiracy". Free Documentaries Online. April 16th 2010 .