Nationalism is a common centripetal force for states. Pride for a country’s history and culture is important, especially in an increasingly globalized and ‘flat’ world where folk culture can feel oppressed, but sometimes intense levels of nationalism prove to be more of a centrifugal force. Europe has an intense history surrounding the development of the state in according to different nations. Italy had to unify a number of very small nations to create a relatively new state while Germany was broken down into smaller states that necessarily didn’t correlate with their nations. Most European states are economically and geographically smaller than rising powers now such as the United States and China, posing a sizeable threat. In addition, unequal
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The agreement was detrimental to Germany because they lost territory, were blamed for the cause of the war, and had to pay considerable sums to western countries. Blinded by rage, Germans wanted to regain any honor or revenge they could and prove their greatness. Adolf Hitler wormed his way into the hearts of the country just at this moment because of his nationalist and racist ideals. At this time the somewhat healthy working class had growing concerns over the Jewish predominance in the upper class and leadership positions throughout the country, creating some racial tension between ‘real Germans’ and imposters. Hitler acknowledged this and provoked this views as he pushed the idea that the Arian race was the most superior and while World War I knocked them down, they could make Germany great again by cleansing their country and expanding their ideas to the rest of the continent. While he also created a totalitarian regime like Lenin, Hitler’s was not based on equality or a standard of human rights. In fact the basis of his regime revolved around the fact that some people were not entitled to any rights or even life. He even notes in Mein Kampf, “I grappled then with my innermost soul: Are these still human beings, worthy of belonging to a great nation?” The fact that Jews had no legitimacy for human rights made them more terrified of the state than other people in Germany, creating an inequitable
The agreement was detrimental to Germany because they lost territory, were blamed for the cause of the war, and had to pay considerable sums to western countries. Blinded by rage, Germans wanted to regain any honor or revenge they could and prove their greatness. Adolf Hitler wormed his way into the hearts of the country just at this moment because of his nationalist and racist ideals. At this time the somewhat healthy working class had growing concerns over the Jewish predominance in the upper class and leadership positions throughout the country, creating some racial tension between ‘real Germans’ and imposters. Hitler acknowledged this and provoked this views as he pushed the idea that the Arian race was the most superior and while World War I knocked them down, they could make Germany great again by cleansing their country and expanding their ideas to the rest of the continent. While he also created a totalitarian regime like Lenin, Hitler’s was not based on equality or a standard of human rights. In fact the basis of his regime revolved around the fact that some people were not entitled to any rights or even life. He even notes in Mein Kampf, “I grappled then with my innermost soul: Are these still human beings, worthy of belonging to a great nation?” The fact that Jews had no legitimacy for human rights made them more terrified of the state than other people in Germany, creating an inequitable