nationalism: differing views Flashcards
1
Q
expansionist nationalism
A
- there is no clear unifying philosophy behind expansionist nationalism, but these forms of nationalism tend exist alongside a belief in chauvinism
- national chauvinism is the belief in the superiority of one nation, and the inferiority of other nations
- it tends to be explicitly racialist, where membership for the nation is often restricted to those of a specific ‘race’
- expansionist nationalism is typically associated with the fascist regimes in 1930/40s Germany, Italy, and Japan, but could also be seen in the ‘scramble for Africa’, exercised by European powers
- all these nations believed themselves to be superior to and more deserving than other nations
- another reason for expanding into territories was for economic self sufficiency (autarky) rejecting any reliance and co operation with other nations
- Germany suffered from trade blockades during WW1 that caused food shortages, so the need for economic self sufficiency via newly acquired land gave it an added impetus
- expansionist nationalism is highly irrational in its outlook
- its belief in national chauvinism is a form of integral nationalism; the individual is swept away on a tide of intense, passionate patriotism, and is prepared to make any sacrifices for the good of the nation (cease to be an individual)
- as Charles Maurras said ‘a true nationalist places his country above everything’
- these types of nationalism tend to use past periods of national greatness alongside myths, art, culture, and folklore to create a highly emotional, anti rational approach to nationalism
- these ideas are also highly regressive: society returns to a former or less developed state, often by supporting ideas and values from previous times may be seen as old fashioned
2
Q
Hitler and expansionist nationalism
A
- Hitler’s concept of lebensraum - a living space in the East, which he wrote about at length in Mein Kampf - outlines this idea perfectly: ‘the national socialist movement must strive to eliminate the disproportion between our population and our area’
- simply put, the Aryan race were the master race, superior to the Slavic race who occupied a huge area to the east of Germany, which was full of natural and mineral resources
- it was therefore, wrong that an inferior race should occupy such a large, plentiful area, while the Aryan master race were crowded into smaller, less abundant land
- to Hitler, the answer was as obvious as it was simple: the Aryan race should take the large expanse of land to their east - the soviet union - for themselves
3
Q
expansionist nationalism and military
A
- expansionist forms of nationalism are highly militaristic
- they associate an empire with evidence of national greatness, based on the notion of ‘survival of the fittest’ nation - and the army is the tool through which this can be achieved
- attention is focused on remilitarising and expanding the army
- the state, government, and army become fused and the country’s resources are devoted to the mission of world domination
4
Q
conservative nationalism
A
- conservative nationalism is an inward looking form of nationalism that shows little interest in self determination for other nations
- conservatives were worried by the liberal nationalism that was associated with the French revolution as it threatened the stability of the existing world order
- conservatives have come to appreciate other aspects of nationalism, which it shaped into its own unique brand of nationalism
- tends to exist in older nation states, like UK, France
- seen as a way of creating a sense of cohesion and unity within society
- conservatives saw that using nationalism to focus on shared traditions, history, and culture could create a common bond within a nation in the absence of a conflict
- they understood nationhood more in cultural terms, as people who share common traditions, history, ad heritage which could be promoted to override issues of division
- conservativism is an ideology that is primarily concerned with conserving society as it is; conservative nationalism sees the nation as a focal point of national unity, helping to bind people together
- conservative nationalism seeks to remind its citizens of that they have in common and what past experiences they share
- nostalgia creates a cohesive society
- conservative nationalists use the state and associated institutions - such as the monarchy as a source of unity that embodies the spirit of the nation (volk/volkgeist - Von Herder)
-national celebrations, such as the anniversaries of historic victories or birth dates of significant figures commemorate the uniqueness of nation’s culture, international sporting events foster a sense of national unity - the Queen is an example of the ‘spirit of the nation’
5
Q
the cricket test - conservative nationalism
A
- in the 1980s, British conservative politician Norman Tebbit came under heavy criticism over what came to be called the ‘cricket test’
- post war Britain had received many people migrating from ex colonies in the West Indies and South Asia, where cricket was a major sport
- in an interview with the LA times, Tebbit referred to these communities when talking about integration in the UK, saying: ‘a large proportion of Britain’s Asian population fail to pass the cricket test. which side do they cheer for? are you still harking back to where you came from, or where you are?’
6
Q
liberal nationalism
A
- liberal nationalism can be understood by applying liberal ideas of individualism to the nation
- liberal nationalists see nations as entities with their own rights; if individuals are entitled to determine their own destiny, so are nations
- the ideal form of government for a liberal nationalist is a nation state, which is seen as the only legitimate basis for political rule - the ideal political community
- a state gives nations a meaningful and autonomous existence whereby they can fulfil their national ambitions
- nationhood is inclusive and open, anyone who identifies passionately with the values of a nation should be permitted to join it
- progressive society, forward looking seeking to advance and improve to be better and fairer
- seek the ideal of world of independent nation states will co operate with each other for mutual benefits, and that economics can play a key role in helping to create a stable and peaceful world order (liberal nationalism is a key stranentd for internationalism)
- free trade between nations plays an important role in creating a culture of interdependency
- liberal ideal is a world of independent nation states cooperating with each other economically, creating a level of interdependence that would reduce the possibility of conflict
- countries who trade are mutually interdepend and therefore likely to seek peaceful resolutions to disagreement
- for liberalists, the EU (purpose to promote greater social, political, and economic harmony) was the ultimate expression of rationalism, reason dominating irrationalism and discussion triumphing over waging war
- in the same way liberals are concerned that an absence of rule of law would result in a few powerful individuals harming weaker ones, so they believe powerful nation states may try and dominate less powerful ones, therefore liberals have come to accept that supernational institutions may be necessary to ‘police’ the international political world, this was the motivation behind the league of nations and the UN
- liberals support the idea of collective security, as practised by NATO
7
Q
anti/post colonial nationalism
A
- anti colonial and post colonial nationalism are terms that have been used to describe countries that have gone through two historical phases, giving their experience of nationalism a dual character
- post colonial nationalism refers to the second phase and the experiences of these nations once they have achieved their goal of independence
- anti colonial nationalism started when the oppressed nations began to recognise their oppression and reject the culture of their oppressors, wishing to follow their own traditional ways
- it can be seen as a form of liberal nationalism - the desire for a nation to rule itself in its own sovereign territory (desire for self determination)
- anti colonial nationalism is distinct as it refers to the experiences of African, Asian, and Latin American nations, which were all subject to the same phenomenon over a similar period
- post colonial nationalism refers to the experiences of these nations once they have achieved their goal of independence
- in post colonial societies, colonial rule was often replaced by non Western or anti Western ideas
- often these nations wished to throw off the yolk of colonialism in every way and certainly did not seek to replicate their oppressors by setting up capitalist, liberal democracies
- many African and Asian nations saw the point of independence as being free to shape their own destiny, based on their traditional culture and practises
- often they looked towards socialist ideas to provide a framework
8
Q
post colonial nationalism and socialism
A
post colonial nationalism has found connections with socialism for a number of reasons:
- they related strongly to Lenin’s analysis of imperialism as a form of capitalist oppression
- Lenin argued that rich western capitalist countries could ‘buy off’ the indigenous working class of their colonies
- former colonies could use Marxist-Leninism as a guide for developing their countries’ national movements and as a focal, unifying force
- former colonies have been attracted to socialist values that resonate with their more traditional ways of life as communities, co operating together and sharing ownership
- post colonial nationalism has been linked with black nationalism through Marcus Garvey and the many movements that emerged from his ideas
9
Q
Indian colonial era and Gandhi - anti/post colonial nationalism
A
- the symbol of India’s anti colonial movement was Mahatma Gandhi
- he was the main leader of India’s independence movement
- he advocated a form or non violent resistance known as Satyagraha (truth and firmness) against the British
- ‘my ambition is no less than to convert the British people through non violence and thus make them see the wrong they have done to India’
- one infamous event of this campaign was the salt marsh: in protest over the salt laws, Gandhi walked from his retreat to the Arabia sea (240 miles way), and was joined on the way by thousands of marchers
- on arrival, they were confronted by British policemen
- Gandhi was named times magazine’s ‘man of the year’ for 1930
- India was granted independence in 1947, with the history books identifying Gandhi and his method of Satyagraha as the key reason for its occurrence
10
Q
colonialism in Africa - post/anti colonial nationalism
A
- the ‘scramble for africa’ refers to a time period beginning in the 1880s, when the European powers invaded, occupied and annexed africa for their own interests
- the berlin conference of 1884-1885 aimed to regulate colonialisation and trade in africa, and was the start of a period when european powers wiped out most forms of autonomous government in the african continent
- before this, only 10% of africa was under colonial rule, by 1914, the figure had risen to 90%
- to european powers, africa was an untapped natural resource with an undeveloped economy and the potential to bring in huge profits along with the opportunity to spread their own culture, language, and religion across the globe
- when colonial powers rule over an area, they encourage the indigenous populations they rule over to reject their own culture and traditions and adopt the ruler’s language, culture, and religion
- today, any african nations have english, french, and portuguese as their official language - a leftover from colonial days
11
Q
nations - liberal nationalism
A
- nations are entities with their own rights
- inclusive nationalism - joining a nation is easy because it is not based on past factors, such as shared experiences, but values which can be adopted
12
Q
self determination - liberal nationalism
A
all nations are equal and are entitled to determine their own destiny; anti colonial
13
Q
nation state - liberal nationalism
A
- this is the ideal form of government, and the only legitimate basis of rule for a government
- it is also the best state form that ensures national independence
14
Q
culturalism - liberal nationalism
A
culture is a useful way to subdivide nations but is not a hierarchical system and people can join different nation
15
Q
racialism - liberal nationalism
A
race is not considered a restriction to nationality as people can join a different nation
