The Burst of Nationalistic Rhetoric in Europe during the XX Century Contributed to the Explosion of the World Wars

The burst of nationalistic rhetoric in Europe during the twentieth century contributed to the rise of nation states, which fiercely guarded their economic and military interests in order to ensure their country’s continuation of prosperity remained constant. However, the dominant powers of Europe inspired by their nationalistic zeal to expand the influence of their respected nation states, would soon create a fog of rivalry and mistrust. This proverbial fog would eventually engulf the continent, eventually leading to the outbreak of two world wars. The role of nationalism in both military conflicts was to act as catalyst, rallying the citizens of each nation to unite under their respected nations banner, and march to war in order to preserve their national pride, and to ensure the sovereignty of the state. Unfortunately, the immense lost of human life that would soon follow the declarations of war exemplified the power of nationalism to drive the people of Europe to massacre each other ruthlessly, in the name of the state. The outbreak of WWI in 1914 was welcomed with “open arms” amongst the peoples of Europe, for romantic, nationalistic notions of dying for the preservation of the “state” was exalted in every combatant nation. Roland Doregeles documented how in Paris“ Young and old, civilians and military men burned with the same excitement (following France’s declaration of war), it was like a brotherhood day’. This notion of a brotherhood in which its members have the duty to defend their nation and subsequently their fellow countrymen, contributed to the rapid bolstering of European armies. The British government in the beginning of the war issued a “ call for an extra 100,000 soldiers,” however; due to the intense nationa...

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...France in 1940. The Italian’s saw these engagements as necessary, in order for Italy to achieve its rightful place as a dominant power in Europe, and to achieve the stature it once held during the Roman Empire. The rise of nationalism in Europe in the first half of the twentieth century instigated a continental gridlock, embodied by mistrust and rivalry. This gridlock would eventually lead to the First World War, whose ferocity and scale of conflict was attributed by each nations success in mobilizing their respected people’s, molding the population into a nationalistic body, that sought to preserve the soverginity of the state at all costs. The rise of nationalism in the Fascist Germany and Italy years later, would spur the warlike nations to begin their path for national retribution, which would result in the re-devastation of the European continent.