The Pros And Cons Of Nationalism

It sometimes seems only human nature for people to group themselves into categories. From Facebook groups for people that like cats to school science clubs, people tend to like other people with similar ideas and beliefs as themselves. Like Facebook groups and school clubs, nationalism strives to unify people with something in common, that being, but not limited to, one’s nation. As one of the most widespread ideologies, nationalism plays a huge role in the world today. Ultimately, it is a system that leads to separation, rather than unification. Because of this, and although it can have some positive aspects, nationalism is more harmful to the world than it is helpful. Nationalism is often mistaken for patriotism. However, it is
important to differentiate between the two. As defined in Webster’s New World Dictionary, patriotism is love and loyal or zealous support of one’s own country (Patriotism). It is natural for people to love their nation, the place they were born or the place they live. It is a normal attachment that should be encouraged. Nevertheless, this does not mean that people should blindly support every action their country makes. Rather, patriotism encourages criticism with the goal of betterment of one’s country. By nature, patriotism is based on love and affection. As Charles de Gaulle, one of France’s greatest leaders, once said, “Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first” (qtd. in Life). This is the fundamental difference between nationalism and patriotism, love and hate. One unites a common people while the other separates the different.
Nationalism, on the other hand, is defined in Webster’s New World Dictionary as excessive, narrow, or jingoist patriotism (Nationalism). It is important to note that the term “nationalism” is often broadly defined, and can have many meanings. However, for the sake of clarity, the previously cited definition will be referred to throughout this paper. Although there are many forms of nationalism, the two main forms are civic and ethnic. According to one source, civic nationalism is when a nation is defined by common citizenship, rather than ethnicity. This form of nationalism is, by definition, nonexclusive. This means that, theoretically speaking, anyone could become a part of a nation by becoming a citizen. For example, the United States is a nation that thrives on civic nationalism. Anyone can become a part of the nation by applying for and obtaining citizenship.
The other type of nationalism is ethnic nationalism.
In contrast to civic nationalism, ethnic nationalism is when a nation is decided by birth, blood, and other contributing factors to a person’s ethnicity (Auer). An example of ethnic nationalism is the Ku Klux Klan. According to The Journal of Southern History, the Ku Klux Klan is a white nationalist group within the United States whose main objective is white supremacy and the eradication of minorities. Their loyalty lies with their race, and often only with members of their race possessing their same ideals. Some members of the Ku Klux Klan may also consider themselves to be loyal to the United States, although most consider it to be tainted by people of different races, religions, and ethnicities
(Powell).
Another example of ethnic nationalism is Judaism. Although without a specific territory or government, Jews often consider themselves to be their own nation based on common culture, language, and religion. This differs from the previous example of ethnic nationalism because a person does not necessarily need to be born into Judaism. Because it is a religious community, one can join the Jewish community simply by converting to Judaism. Despite the previous example, ethnic nationalism is often strictly exclusive, meaning that a person must be born into a nation. Ethnic nationalism is usually regarded as the more harmful of the two types, and very easily leads to discrimination among different ethnic groups. Because of its focus on race, religion, and other discriminatory factors, ethnic nationalism will be the main concentration of this paper.
To best understand nationalism, it is important to first know its history. According to the Hutchinson Encyclopedia, nationalism has been a powerful political force for hundreds of years. First originating in Europe, nationalism became prominent in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. One of the first examples of nationalism during this time period was the civic nationalist movement in France, known today simply as the French Revolution (Nationalism (politics)).
According to one source, before the days of nationalism, the people’s allegiance was pledged to the King, rather than to the nation. In the late 1700s, feelings and ideas among the French people began to change. Rather than seeing themselves as the King’s subjects, they saw themselves as citizens of a nation. Although today it is common for people to view themselves as citizens, at the time is was a groundbreaking concept. In 1792, French revolutionaries overthrew King Louis XVI and established a new government and constitution.
After the Revolution, French nationalism continued to escalate. In 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte became the first consul of France, and five years later would become emperor. By increasing nationalism through military victories and high morale, Bonaparte ensured the people’s loyalty. However, Bonaparte’s aggression and imperialism also increased nationalist feelings among his opponents This eventually led to his defeat (Nationalism Grows). Apart from France and Napoleon Bonaparte’s reign, the remainder of Europe had not been untouched by the nationalist movement. Following the success of the French Revolution, nationalism spread throughout Europe. The result was a continent of new nations, including Greece, Italy, and Germany (Nationalism (politics)).
During the early twentieth century, following World War I, dictatorships arose in Italy and Germany, along with a new political movement called fascism, an ideology that is centered primarily around nationalism and racism.
According to one source, fascism strongly appealed to citizens, promising prosperity after the years of hardship. Strong feelings of nationalism also led to imperialism. In 1935, Italy conquered Ethiopia. From 1939 to the end of World War II, Germany occupied much of Europe, with hopes of conquering the world and building it into one German Empire. Ultimately, these plans failed, and Germany and Italy were no longer massive world powers. Instead, the countries suffered from economic troubles and thousands were left in poverty (Keefe 28-33). Recently, nationalism has had a large impact in Asia and Africa, as well as a revival in Eastern Europe in the 1980s (Nationalism
(politics)).
Because Nazi Germany is one of the most prevalent examples of the harmful effects of nationalism, it will be of some consequence to elaborate further on the rise and fall of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. According to one source, after World War I and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was left in economic turmoil with a debt of billions of dollars in reparations from the war. Through the economic despair, a new political party appealing to the masses of angry Germans emerged. Headed by a charismatic leader named Adolf Hitler, the National Socialist German Workers Party grew in popularity among the German people. Blaming the loss of World War I on “internal enemies,” specifically German Jews, Hitler and the Nazi Party steadily rose to power through a string of elections.
In January 1933, President Paul von Hindenburg, in need of the Nazi’s support, appointed Hitler chancellor. After the Reichstag building burnt down a month later, Hitler blamed