BACKGROUND AND INTRO

Nationalism, the desire to gain power and prestige for one’s nation or nation-state, is a powerful

force behind domestic and foreign policy. It can be seen that the source that was

given opposes nationalism and provides possible solutions. The source states that

nationalism harms humankind. It suggests that nationalism is a ‘disease’ that plagues our society,

making society sick and unhealthy. The source suggests that nationalism leads to small,

states tempting their larger neighbors and notbeing able to defend themselves which escends easily into

oppression, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. We must embrace the source and view nationalism as a

disease because it is the root of conflict. Twentieth Century history has shown us that

nationalism has led to aggressive expansionist foreign policies, violent ethnic and religious

conflicts over territory, and racism leading to genocide.

1ST POINT; a) Expansionist Foreign Policies…

- Japan Pre-WWII
- Germany Pre-WWII

Throughout the 20th century, nationalism, and the pursuit of national interests through

expansionist foreign policies has proven to be a detrimental “disease” of mankind. During the

1930s, nation-states used nationalism to arouse support for aggressive foreign policies resulting

in death and destruction on an international scale. The Treaty of Versailles punished Germany

harshly for the First World War. This treaty took away territory from the German people which

the Germans felt was rightfully theirs. In 1933, Adolph Hitler took power in Germany and
vowed to ‘restore German greatness.’ Hitler, through propaganda campaigns convinced the

German people that Germany was destined for greatness and was the ‘shining light of Europe.’

Hitler, desiring revenge for the Treaty of Versailles, sought out to regain the territory lost after

World War I by forcefully taking the Sudetenland (1936), Czechoslovakia (1939), and continued

to expand into Poland (1939) which began World War II. Hitler’s desire for German dominance

of Europe and subsequent expansionism contributed directly the devastation of World War II

where over approximately 60 million civilians and soldiers were killed during the six year

conflict. Furthermore, under the Emperor Hirohito, Japan instilled within his people the belief

that the Japanese were destined to dominate Asia militarily and that expansionism was a ‘mission

from heaven’. In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria, a territory controlled by China in an attempt to

regain territory that, in Japan’s opinion, was rightfully theirs. These actions lead directly to

armed conflict between China and Japan where thousands of civilians and soldier were killed.

The two examples of Germany and Japan both support the position taken in the source. Germany

and Japan in the 1930s display how nationalist desires for more territory spread a ‘sickness’ of

death and destruction across nation-states borders and throughout mankind. Promoting

nationalism was essential to the expansionist foreign policies of Germany and Japan; the death of

millions in the name of national interests proves that nationalism is the Achilles Heel, or the

“measles” of mankind.

2ND POINT b) Violent Ethnic Conflict over Territory…

- India and Pakistan between the Muslims and Hindus
- Kosovo between Albanians (Muslims) and Serbians (Christians)
In August, 1947, when, after three hundred years in India, the

British finally left, the subcontinent was partitioned into two

independent nation states: Hindu-majority India and Muslim-

majority Pakistan. Across the Indian subcontinent, communities

that had coexisted for almost a millennium attacked each other in

a terrifying outbreak of sectarian violence, with Hindus and Sikhs

on one side and Muslims on the other—a mutual genocide as

unexpected as it was unprecedented. THIS WAS CAUSED BY

THE INFAMOUS DIVIDE AND RULE POLICY THAT DIVIDED

THE once harmonious state into a divided indifferent population,

separated on the basis of ethnicities, essentially nationalism.

NATIONALISM AGAIN WAS A CAUSE OF WAR, BETWEEN

KOSOVO, MUSLIMS, AND SERBIANS, CHRISTIANS.

Kosovo had enjoyed a high degree of autonomy within Serbia. But that changed in 1989
when the then province’s status was rescinded, bringing it under the direct control of
Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. hen, in 1998, Slobodan Milosevic launched a Serb
attack against ethnic Albanians, who were fighting for independence in Kosovo.

The conflict saw at least 5,000 Kosovans executed, according to NATO. One-and-a-half
million people, 90% of Kosovo’s population, had been expelled from their homes. Serbia
still does not recognize kosova as an independent state.
 3RD POINT c) Racism leading to Genocide…
- Rwanda
- Ukraine

It can also be seen throughout history that genocides were also caused by ultra-nationalism. In
1994 a terrible incident has occurred and that would be the Rwanda genocide. The two groups that
were involved in this are the Tutsi and Hutu group. The Tutsi and Hutu had animosity between
them and deeply desired to kill each other. Their ultra-nationalistic views helped accumulate their
anger towards each other. This led to the Hutu’s planned assassination on their president. They
were able to use this as an excuse in order to destroy the Tutsis. The Hutus blamed the Tutsis for
killing their president and went on a rampage which conducted the mass killing of the Tutsis.

The Holodomor, the ukranian manmade genocide/famine Soviet Ukraine in 1932 and 1933 that
killed millions of Ukrainians. during the Holodomor, millions of inhabitants of Ukraine, the majority of
whom were ethnic Ukrainians, died of starvation

CONCLUSION
Society must embrace the source and its perspective that nationalism is like a sickness that leads

to hardship. Nationalism must be avoided because 20th Century history has shown that

nationalist pursuits plague mankind. Nationalism must be avoided because it leads to aggressive

expansionist foreign policies that threaten peace along shared borders of nation-states as well as

around the world. Furthermore, nationalism can create violent conflict between ethnic or

religious groups over control of a nation-state leading to instability as a result of a large number

of casualties and property damage. Finally, pursuing nationalist fervour can generate extreme

hatred for an opposing ethnic or religious group resulting in genocide where a population of
people are oppressed and killed due to their ethnic or religious background. “Our most basic

common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish

our children's future. And we are all mortal.” – John F. Kennedy, 35th American President