Nationalism

There are many definitions of the term nationalism and interpretations of the philosophy of nationalism.

Some describe nationalism as healthy patriotism that unifies, strengthens, and defines, while others consider nationalism to be dangerous and more of a blind patriotism, where the powerless are often unable to speak truth to power.

The old MWH textbook defines nationalism as: the love of one’s country over love of one’s native region. Your current textbook defines nationalism as: the unique cultural identity of a people based on common language, religion, and national symbols

See if you can see all of the underlying and more subtle suggestions of nationalism in the following slides. Are there different degrees or types of nationalism?

What is this World War One poster saying?

What do you think each figure in this British WWI poster represents and is being asked to do?

Who is this directed to? How is this an example of nationalism?

British WWI Recruitment Poster

(Netherlanders: For Your Honour and Conscience! Against Bolshevism The Waffen SS CALLS YOU!)

“Victory or Bolshevism” a Nazi WWII poster from 1943 after the fall of Stalingrad

Name this man and his nation. Go! Shoutout!

“Youth Are Serving the Leader All ten-year-olds will join the HJ”

This is the flag of a nation not yet realized. Whose flag is this? Go! Shoutout!

by Eugène Delacroix, 1830 is a famous example of nationalist art Liberty Leading the People

Critics of Nationalism “Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind.” -Albert Einstein “Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it.” -George Bernard Shaw “Patriotism is the willingness to kill and be killed for trivial reasons.” -Bertrand Russell “You'll never have a quiet world till you knock the patriotism out of the human race.” -George Bernard Shaw “It is good for children to learn to love their country, their religion, their culture and so on. But the danger comes when this develops into narrow-minded nationalism, ethnocentricity, and religious bigotry.” – 14th Dalai Lama “The love of one's country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border?” -Pablo Casals

"Patrie" by Voltaire “It is clear that one country cannot gain without another [country] losing, and that it cannot conquer without making misery” “be a citizen of the world”

Two good examples of nationalism in history are: the unification and creation of Italy, and the unification and creation of Germany, both in 1870-1871.