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4.3 Nationalism and Ultranationalism
4.3 Nationalism and Ultranationalism
Should nations pursue national interests?
Big Ideas:
- Are there positive and negative consequences to the pursuit of national interests?
- What are the similarities and the differences between nationalism and ultranationalism?
- What are the effects of nationalism and ultranationalism during conflict?
In our Unit 3 study of World War I, we discovered nations and their pursuit of national interest can be affected by nationalism and foreign policy, both of which shape international and domestic events. When nations are faced with the national self-interests of other nations, conflicts can rise. In the picture below, national interest, nationalism, and foreign policy are shown to all impact each other. Similarly, international and domestic events have far reaching effects, both globally and in a person's home nation.

It is important to understand nationalism can turn into ultranationalism, especially during times of conflict. It is also important to note nationalism and ultranationalism are on a spectrum. A nation's actions can have some characteristics of nationalism (to the left), but depending on circumstances and national self-interests, other actions by the same nation can reveal ultranationalistic tendencies (to the right). The differences between nationalism and ultranationalism are summarized in the chart below.
Nationalism |
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Ultranationalism |
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As you can see, whether an action is nationalistic or ultranationalistic depends on a variety of factors, including differing perspectives, each nation's self-interests, and how each nation views or justifies certain actions. In World War I, we saw the development of nationalism (through the MAINE causes of war), and then actions that reflected ultranationalism, such as internment of citizens labelled as "enemy aliens", military aggression, and propaganda. Although the Treaty of Versailles was meant to prevent another war on such a large scale, national interests ultimately led to World War II.
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Go to your textbook, Understanding Nationalism, and read pages 132 to 134. These pages will further your understanding of similarities and differences between nationalism and ultranationalism. |
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Download the 4.3 Notebook Organizer (Word, PDF, Google Doc)
and take notes about what you have read. Review the tutorial How to Take Notes if needed. When you are done, return here to continue.
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