Ultranationalism Flashcards
Define: ULTRANATIONALISM
Ultranationalism is an extreme form of nationalism. Ultranationalists are often fanatically loyal to their own nation and hostile toward other nations.
Understand: German ultranationalism during WWII - Hitler and the Holocaust
In the early 1920s, Germany had suffered through a period of extreme inflation - rising prices and a sharp drop in the buying power of money. German money became almost worthless while prices increased by more than 100 times. In 1929, as the German economy was getting better, the Great Depression started which led to a decrease in exportation. As a result, German industries laid off workers and the German people were faced with homelessness and starvation. In addition, Germany struggled to recover from WWI. As economic conditions grew worse, some German citizens began to look for a strong leader who could fix the country. Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist German Workers’ Party - the Nazi Party - fit the bill.
Adolph Hitler promised to restore people’s national pride by making Germany the world’s leading nation. He promised to fix Germany by:
- refusing to recognize the Treaty of Versailles
- rebuilding the country’s armed forces and reclaiming territories it had lost at the end of WWI
- restoring the superiority of the “Aryan race” - white Europeans.
Nazi propaganda experts used radio, movies, public address systems and giant posters to keep Hitler’s image and message before the public.
HOLOCAUST
The English term used to describe the genocide of about 6 million Jews by the Nazis during WWII.
Understand: Russian ultranationalism during WWII - Stalin and the Holodomor
In 1917, a revolution began in Russia who was ruled by an absolute monarch. This revolution threw the country into civil war and resulted in the assassination of the monarch and the royal family. The millions of Russians who had already suffered great insecurity and hardship during WWI suffered event more. In 1922, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was formed. It was a union of several nations under Russian control.
Joseph Stalin emerged as the head of the Communist Party and the country’s leader and dictator. He alone would decide what was in Russians’ national interest.
Under his command, he:
- confiscated farmer’s land and ordered them to work on the new stated-owned collective farms - farmers who objected were punished by being deported to prison camps in Siberia or Central Asia
- wanted Soviet nationalism to replace the loyalties of any other ethnic national groups - any group that objected was persecuted as a criminal nation and sent to slave-labour camps in Siberia
- wanted to rid the Communist Party of anyone accused of being an “enemy of the people” - millions were sent to camps in Siberia for any kind of thought against Stalin
HOLODOMOR
Stalin’s treatment of Ukrainians was especially brutal.
- When Ukrainian farmer’s refused to give up their land, Stalin confiscated their crops
- He outlawed the use of the Ukrainian language in public.
- The Ukrainians were the largest group of political prisoners in the slave-labour camps.
Understand: Japanese ultranationalism during WWII - Hirohito and the ‘rape of Nanking’
After WWI, Japanese agriculture and industrial exports to Europe and the US increased. But when the Great Depression started, these trading partners decided to support their own industries and so Japanese people lost their jobs. In addition, farmers produced silk which Europeans and American could no longer afford, and because of difficult weather, rice crops were destroyed so famine arose. Japanese ultranationalists blamed their politicians for the crisis.
HIROHITO and TOJO
Ultranationalists worked to rid Japan of democracy and to make the country a one-party state ruled by the military. Although Emperor Hirohito was believed to have divine power, he was not involved in politics. Tojo was prime minister and transformed Japan into a military dictatorship. Tojo was an aggressive ultranationahist who promised that Japan would use its military might to dominate Asia. His armed forces decided on the country’s national interests and made most of the foreign policy decisions.
Japanese nationalism included social and religious values that honored warriors and duty to the country. The military leaders who controlled Japan too those values to extremes. They fostered the racist belief that Japanese people were superior to all other people. Students were taught to idealize the past, to take pride in their race and culture, and to practice duty and obedience as the highest virtues. Western books, ideas, values and culture were scorned but the ideas of Nazi Germany were praised.
RAPE OF NANKING
A controversial book by Iris Chang that described the 1937-1938 Japanese atrocities during their occupation of Nanking including:
- live burials, mutilation, death by fire, death by ice and death by dogs
- a killing contest among a group of Japanese soldiers to determine who could kill the fastest
- the rape of 20,000 - 80,000 women and the murder of approximately 300,000.
Understand: Canadian ultranationalism during WWI and WWII - German/Ukrainain and Japanese Internment
Canada’s foreign policy was still controlled by Britain in 1914. So when Britain declared war on Germany, Canada, along with all the other countries apart of the British Empire, were also at war; hence, how Canada became apart of WWI. However, Canada got to chosen how they would participate in WWI and Canada’s contributions led to significant changes in the war. The Canadian army (15,000) attacked Vimy Ridge (the first time they all fought together) and after three days, took the Ridge. But Canada also participated in concentration camps - The Conscription Crisis - the internment of Ukrainian-Canadians. Under the War Measures Act, anyone born in an enemy country was considered an “enemy alien” and had to register with the police. Some were considered more than a threat than others and placed in a concentration camp where they were used as free labour for large projects. After the success of Vimy Ridge, many Canadians began to see themselves as “Canadian” instead of “British”. However, because of the Conscription Crisis, the divide between English Canada and French Canada was more pronounced.
When Britain declared war again on Germany (WWII), Canada was obligated to join them because Canada was an independent nation. However, seven days after Britain declared war, Canada made its first independent declaration of war upon Germany. Canada had a lot to prove in WWII. This was the first time they were fighting as a sovereign nation and they had a strong sense of nationalism fueling their war effort. It was total war - meaning all of Canada’s economy was being pumped into training soldiers, building weapons, and supplying the troops. Propaganda campaigns were launched to get as many Canadians involved as possible. Media was also censoring and all mail had to be pre-approved (both incoming and outgoing mail). As in WWI, consciption was instituted - all healthy adult Canadian men were forced into the armed forces. Canada during WWI begain to show signs of ultranationalism that they were fighting against overseas: propaganda, indoctrination, conscription and xenophobia (a fear or dislike of that which is foreign or strange, particularly people from other countries). Canada was xenophobic towards Japanese people. It was worried that anyone of Japanese descent might be a spy for the Japanese and the Axis, so they were rounded up and transported to internment camps. Internment camps were essentially prisons. The property and possessions of the Japanese people sent to the camps was sold to pay for their stay.
Summary of what you should know about Canada in WWI:
- fought as a British colony (not independent; entered when Britain entered)
- gained internation renown for heroism (Vimy Ridge)
- known by the Germans as “storm trooper” for their efficiency in battle
- widely considered that WWI was the “birth” of the Canadian nation and Canadian nationalism
Summary of what you should know about Canada in WWII:
- fought as an independent, sovereign nation (joined the war on their own)
- well known for their bravery and their success at capturing objectives
- succeeded at capturing Juno Beach (considered one of the hardest objectives) on D-Day
- rapidly developed strong nationalism, even bordering on ultranationalism (conscription/propaganda/internment)
Define: PROPAGANDA. Give examples.
Propaganda is information and ideas that are spread to achieve a specific goal. Extreme nationalists may use misleading and dishonest information to create fear and insecurity and to persuade people to behave in certain ways. Propaganda often calls opponents names that are designed to arouse people’s anger and fears; plays down people’s own failures or uses words that hide the true meaning of their actions; uses respected symbols to appeal to people’s values and beliefs; and, appeals to people’s fears when trying to persuade them to support particular actions.
For example:
- calling people “terrorists”, “fanatics”
- calling their own wars “holy” and “just” or referring to death camps as “concentration camps” or “work camps”
- religious leaders and symbols or a national flag
- claiming that independence for other people will destroy their own culture
Define: INDOCTRINATION. Give examples.
Indoctrination is the process of teaching a person with ideas, attitudes, and cognitive strategies. Indoctrination can be used as propaganda.
For example,
- Japan: convinced youth of the military beliefs
- German: convinced youth to Hitler’s beliefs
