Nationalism

Term Paper # 102413

History > European - 20th Century
Political Science

Nationalism

An overview of the definition of nationalism and its effect on 20th century European politics.

4,263 words () | 11 sources | APA | 2008 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that nationalism developed as a political ideology and a state reality in the nineteenth century, emerging once various groups of people began to see themselves as part of a nation rather than some other geographical designation. This paper discusses how nationalism shaped several of the states of Europe leading into the twentieth century and how nationalism as an ideology was strong in Germany and added to conflicts leading to World War I. The paper also examines how World War II was a continuation of many of the same forces, again with Germany as provocateur against many of the other states in Europe.

Outline:
Introduction
National Boundaries
Italy and Germany
War in the Twentieth Century
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Security has always been a major component of social relations, with groups of people intent in protecting themselves from encroachments on their territory and prerogatives banding together for greater strength. The idea of national security extends beyond the immediate neighborhood, village, or town to a larger entity known as the nation-state, and people only began to develop a sense of national identity after the feudal era. The trend began in the sixteenth century with the breakup of the Holy Roman Empire (Manchester, 1993, pp. 159-160). "

Sample of Sources Used:

Fischer, F. (1991). 1914: Germany Opts for War, 'Now or Never.' In The Outbreak of World War I, Holger H. Herwig (ed.). Lexington, Massachusetts: D.C. Heath and Company: 52-70.
Geiss, I. (1991). The Fischer 'Controversy' and German War Guilt. In The Outbreak of World War I, Holger H. Herwig (ed.). Lexington, Massachusetts: D.C. Heath and Company: 105-107.
Herwig, H.H. (1991). Introduction. In The Outbreak of World War I, Holger H. Herwig (ed.). Lexington, Massachusetts: D.C. Heath and Company: 1-9.
Hobsbawm, E. (1996). The Age of Extremes. New York: Vintage.
Joll, J. (1991). 1914: The Unspoken Assumptions. In The Outbreak of World War I, Holger H. Herwig (ed.). Lexington, Massachusetts: D.C. Heath and Company: 18-23.