Notes

​By 1914, the Europeans had accepted nationalistic principles to form nations based on shared culture, history, and language. Nationalism is a belief that involves an individual identifying and attaching themselves to their country. Prior to 1914, much of Europe was dominated by large empires such as the Ottoman Empire and the Austria-Hungary Empire. Over time, people began to identify themselves together according to race or beliefs and had a strong desire to become independent nations. This form of nationalism is called Disruptive Nationalism. It is this ideology that would eventually help contribute to the beginnings of World War I. As a result, the global maps would change forever. Another type of Nationalism is Aggressive Nationalism. This type of Nationalism occurs when two or more countries disagree about values and beliefs. It is aggressive nationalism that paved the way for Hitler to attempt to dominate all of Europe in the early twentieth century. Based on Germany’s aggressive nationalism, the country believed that their culture should be spread throughout the world and dominate other nations. The term Nazi stands for "National Socialism." All in all, nationalism can be either beneficial or harmful, according to the history books. It is important to note that it was European nationalism that helped to fuel European dominance in the early nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Due to nationalism, countries like Germany, Italy, Romania, Greece, Poland, and Bulgaria were born. The European countries we know today were not always in existence – they were created by nationalistic ideals.