Ultranationalism: Nazi Germany and French Revolution
Nationalism can be defined as devotion to the interests or culture of one 's nation. Nationalism is shown everywhere, sometimes examples as small as Independence Day in the United States, or some as big as the French Revolution. Nationalism comes in both negative, and positive forms. The French Revolution, though many people were killed, helped France get to the way it is today, so can be considered a more positive form. A more negative example of nationalism is ultra nationalism.
Ultra nationalism, like nationalism involves the devotion to ones nation, and is basically just an extreme form of nationalism. The downfall to this is, ultra nationalism often involves the people being fanatically loyal to their nation, and hostile and racist to others nations. Ultra nationalism can cause war, succession and genocide. Throughout history, we have experienced ultra nationalism and all its negative effects, whether it was Russia under Joseph Stalin or the well known Holocaust in Nazi Germany.
Ultra nationalism develops from nationalism, as previously discussed but it doesn’t just instantaneously develop. Generally it requires various factors and events combined to transform nationalism into ultra nationalism such as social and economic crises, and the rising of a charismatic leader. Along with these factors come national traditions and myths that promote feelings of superiority, and propaganda.
The problem with ultra nationalism is quite obvious. When you have a nation with these feelings of aggression and hostility to other nations, especially if they have a particularly charismatic and influential leader such as Hitler was, it is easy to provoke conflict between them. As a group, the people who are ultranationalists may begin to segregate or isolate the group or groups of which they are against. They also may be blamed for things that go wrong in society. These actions are what lead to crimes against humanity.
Crimes against humanity are offenses that
Ultra nationalism, like nationalism involves the devotion to ones nation, and is basically just an extreme form of nationalism. The downfall to this is, ultra nationalism often involves the people being fanatically loyal to their nation, and hostile and racist to others nations. Ultra nationalism can cause war, succession and genocide. Throughout history, we have experienced ultra nationalism and all its negative effects, whether it was Russia under Joseph Stalin or the well known Holocaust in Nazi Germany.
Ultra nationalism develops from nationalism, as previously discussed but it doesn’t just instantaneously develop. Generally it requires various factors and events combined to transform nationalism into ultra nationalism such as social and economic crises, and the rising of a charismatic leader. Along with these factors come national traditions and myths that promote feelings of superiority, and propaganda.
The problem with ultra nationalism is quite obvious. When you have a nation with these feelings of aggression and hostility to other nations, especially if they have a particularly charismatic and influential leader such as Hitler was, it is easy to provoke conflict between them. As a group, the people who are ultranationalists may begin to segregate or isolate the group or groups of which they are against. They also may be blamed for things that go wrong in society. These actions are what lead to crimes against humanity.
Crimes against humanity are offenses that
Bibliography: Gardner, Robert, Exploring Nationalism, McGraw-hill Ryerson Limited, 2008 Author Unknown, April 20, 2010, Crimes against humanity, available online http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_against_humanity Unknown author, January 15th, 2009, Things of Connectiveness of nationalism, available online http://www.sophanseng.info/2009/01/things-of-connectiveness-of-nationalism/ Author Unknown, March 25, 2010, The Holocaust Available online http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holocaust#Origins