What Is It? Nationalism emerged as part of the French Revolution It is based on being a part of a Nation- State

Elements of a Nation-State Nation = a group of people unified by a common culture, ethnicity, values or language – Example: Iroquois State = a political or geographic location where a government is sovereign – Example: USA, France

The Nation-State Nation-state – shared set of values, morals, culture, language – Living within defined political boundaries Examples? – Iceland – Hungary – Swaziland – North / South Korea

What Drives Nationalism? Desire for self determination – People choose own leaders Desire for freedom from foreign occupation

So What’s the Big Deal? Radical idea for its time Threatened change in status quo of Europe – No monarchs unless they were constitutionally limited (self determination idea) – Led to very violent wars Conservatives fighting to hold onto power Nationalists fighting to free people to determine their own course

Problems with Nationalism Moral question: What actions are justifiable when people are fighting to establish their country’s freedom? – Anything goes? – That leads to very brutal, atrocity laden conflicts

Extreme Nationalism Linking government to extreme nationalism can lead to terrible excesses in the name of “The People” or “The Homeland” or “The Mother Country” – Examples: Fascism, Nazism, Stalinist USSR