Q: "We have seen that nationalism can unite people as well as divide them, liberate them as well as generate bitterness and conflict". Illustrate your answer with examples.
Answers
Explanation:
During the last 200 years nationalism has emerged as one of the most compelling of political creeds which has helped to shape our history through the course of time. The study of term ‘Nationalism’ has inspired intense loyalties as well as hatred and criticism. It unites people into bond on the basis of shared belief, common territory, shared political idea and aspirations. Nationalism has been a factor in the breakup of empires and states. Nationalist struggles have contributed in the drawing and redrawing the state boundaries of the states and empires. The idea of nationalism liberates people from the bond of various smaller groups to a one wide nation where they all share common interest and goal. It can sometime divide the lingual and culture group which can demand for a separate nation state like we have seen in the case of Telangana which resulted in disintegration of Arunachal Pradesh, this is a great threat to the nationalism as it generates bitterness and conflict as demands for separate nation state demanded by the smaller groups and communities arises. Such situations are the roots of many going conflicts in today’s time.
At present large part of the world is divided into different nation states the problem of boundaries are existing and no end to the separatist struggles within existing states. Nationalism has passed through several passes. For example- in the 19th century, Europe has faced much unification of small kingdoms into larger states. The present day Germany and Italy were formed. Large numbers of newly decolonized states were also found in Latin and South America.
Nationalism has also contributed in the breaking of large dictatorial empire Nazi rule in Germany, The Empire of Austria and Hungary. With worlds wars, cold war and process of decolonization we have seen that nationalism can unite people as well as divide them, liberate them as well as generate bitterness and conflict