Strengths And Weaknesses Of Nationalism In The Context Of Colonialism In Context Of Colonialism

Although relationships between imperialism, nationalism, and racism have contributed to changes in racism in both Europe and North America from the 1750s to present day, there are several areas in which they have stayed the same.

The process of decolonization proved to have its own struggles within those who were seeking their independence from imperialist powers. Evidently, these nationalist movements were different in many regions, but they generally shared the sentiment that “Westernization” had taken something away from them. This proved to be the case in Africa and Asia, where the colonization movement from imperialist powers was of strong presence, and that had trouble weakening during and after the Cold War. Part of this struggle was due to the forms of government that were imposed, and because many of these colonies had been in this position for such long time that they were not able to predict upcoming conflicts after their independence. However, in many cases, the problems were more complicated and often implied a combination of reaction to westernization and internal conflicts. Undoubtedly,

Nationalism is a powerful force that can unite people working towards a common goal, but when it is taken to the extreme it can cause major disharmony in society, evident in the numerous genocides during the Age of Imperialism, the Fascist party's rise to power, and the Japanese’s unwillingness to surrender during World War II. Nationalism is dangerous, because it warps the minds of the individuals in the organization, creates prejudice and discrimination, and can be easily manipulated into a weapon against humanity.

Nationalism drove change in the world after World War II by resisting foreign interferences which is evident in events such as the End of Mandates and the Soviet Sino-Split as well as Pan-Arabism.

The standard of nationalism, imperialism, and militarism motivated rivalries between nations resulting in competition in which the weak were at a disadvantage. In the Merriam-Webster dictionary nationalism is defined as a feeling that people have of being loyal to and proud of their country often with the belief that it is better and more important than other countries. Nationalism gave citizens excessive confidence in their nation, their governments and their military strength. Nationalist ideas made other nations look bad, labeling them as hostile, devious, dishonest, reluctant or uncivilized. (Levin & Miller, 2011) It persuaded many people to believe their nation was being threatened by trickery and ambitious imperialism of its enemies.

The effects of imperialism and nationalism brought the world into an unenviable position during the early 1900 's. Colonies began to revolt against their rulers and left civilian unrest behind. The people began to question and change different structures of governments. Wars began to brew amongst nations and revolutions sparked. These events, however, remain far from inconsequential to modern day societies. Certain aspects, specifically, Gandhi 's non-violent resistance, Karl Marx 's The Communist Manifesto, and Pablo Picasso 's Guernica, continue to hold significance in modern day politics and communities.

In the early years of the 20th century a European war seemed likely due to dissent, distress, and militarism. During this specific time many liberals had thought that if they organized European states that it would remain peaceful. This then had actually led to competition which then led to many rivalries over not only colonial but also commercial interests during an era of imperialist expansion.Which led to any disputes which included land. The rivalries led to Europe's division of allies with Germany and Austria. Also Italy against France and great Britain and Russia. So many states were forced into thinking about creating an empire a army and who they could trust. Which then led Germany to think about making an Empire since France wanted

What would have happen if america never went through any problems? Now you may be thinking america has always been great. Well that’s not the case. We wouldn’t have become a more stronger independent country if we never had to solve problems. During the time of the early 1800s many different events were happening to contribute to America's situation of nationalism and sectionalism.

Nationalism was coined back in the 1770’s it has a major role in the shaping many nations throughout the world. Nationalism has many positive and negative aspects to it. Nationalism has the strength to unify people despite their classes. It also has the ability to united people to lead movements against oppressive governments. There is a downside Nationalism can as method to evoke fear. The biggest negative is that most nationalism movement’s inevitably led to some form of conflict. Nationalism is a dangerous movement that can lead to oppression of opposition groups and lead to conflicts.

Decolonization is the undoing of colonialism, where a nation establishes and maintains its domination over dependent territories. In the words of Fanon, in the reading The Wretched of the Earth, “National liberation, national reawakening, restoration of the na­tion to the people or Commonwealth, whatever the name used, whatever the latest expression, decolonization is always a violent event.” (Fanon, 1). Frantz Fanon was one of many authors who supported decolonization struggles occurring after World War II. He breaks down decolonization into two senses: one being the physical act of freeing a territory from external control of a colonizer, and the other being the psychological act of freeing the consciousness of the native from the alienation caused by colonization. Fanon particularly advocated that violence was justified by overthrowing colonial oppression. In his reading, The Wretched of the Earth, Fanon wrote on why and how colonialism must be stopped. Fanon argued that the colonial infrastructure must be destroyed. “Decolonization, which sets out to change the order of the world, is clearly an agenda for total disorder. But it cannot be accomplished by the wave of a magic wand, a natural cataclysm, or a gentleman’s agreement. Decolonization, we know, is an historical process: In other words, it can only be understood, it can only find its significance and become self coherent insofar as we can discern the history-making movement which gives it form and substance,”

World War I occurred as a result of a number of political, social, and economic changes that were taking place at a rapid pace in the region. A prominent transformation was the onset of industrial revolution that accompanied these changes. Many countries were investing significantly in industrialization while undergoing transformation that was changing the face of society. To enhance patriotism and to achieve objectives that were otherwise impossible, political forces were utilizing notions like nationalism. In this scenario, the colonies of European nations became the cause of significant rivalry and disputes, settled only after the blood of millions was shed. The war had far-reaching consequences for all nations that were involved in the conflict such that the entire boundaries of many countries were remarked. This paper will discuss the impact of nationalism, industrialization, and colonialism on WWI and its occurrence.

In the Discourse on Colonialism, Cesaire illustrates a compelling relationship between colonized states and the proletariat class. He conveys that the proletariat socio-economic class allows for the possible unification of society against the powers of colonialism. Interestingly, the comparison reflects as these elements extend from constructed illusions to unequivocal creeds. By isolating and juxtaposing the two groups, Cesaire is able to elaborate on how he believes that race and class unite to dominate 'inferior subjects' in nations throughout the globe. Throughout the essay, Cesaire provides reasoning for the socially constructed experiences of those dictated by colonial imperialism, particularly Africans, and proletarian conflicts in

For Fanon, therefore, colonialism is fundamentally a violent situation since "the stage is set in motion between two kinds of interests--the interest of the colonizer and the interest of the colonized" (Gordon 77). As a result,

The concept of nationalism is in essence an odd organization that has had significant impacts in world history through shaping the political and social aspects of the society. As an important aspect in the development of the society, the concept of nationalism has basically been analyzed based on its impact on the emergence of nation-states across the globe. In most cases, these analyses have been conducted to determine the influence of nationalism on imperial breakdown i.e. the dissolution of empires. While the actual extent of the impact of nationalism on the imperial breakdown is uncertain, this concept has played a major role in the dissolution of empires. Generally, the transition to nationalism has contributed to significant effects in world history through shaping the political and social aspects of the society.

What effect has decolonization brought? The decolonized nations cope with their own course of action on all fronts - economic, social, political and cultural. Even as they struggle to rid themselves of the shackles of the erstwhile influences, they try to regain touch with their ‘golden past’ and also believe in a brighter future. With centuries of economic exploitation to undo, it does seem to be a daunting task. However, colonial theorists like Frantz Fanon believe that the colony regaining its place in the order, returning to its hierarchic origin is but inevitable.