Question

How did nationalism, aligned with imperialism, lead Europe to disaster in 1914? Explain with examples.

Hint:

Show how nationalism changed after 1871, then explain why the Balkans became the danger zone, and finish by connecting Balkan rivalries to the competition among the big powers for colonies and military strength.

Answer 1

Concept:

• Nationalism in the first half of the nineteenth century was tied to democracy and liberty, but after 1871 it became narrow and intolerant.
• When each major power began to use national feeling to justify taking territory and building empires, the rivalries that followed ended in the First World War.

Step 1: Nationalism changed its character after 1871.
The liberal nationalism of the earlier period, which stood for constitutions, free markets and the rights of citizens, gave way to a narrow creed with limited ends.
Nationalist groups in Europe grew intolerant of each other and became ready for war.

Step 2: The Balkans became the flash point.
The Balkans was a region of geographical and ethnic variation comprising modern-day Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro. Its inhabitants were broadly known as the Slavs.
A large part of the Balkans was under the control of the Ottoman Empire.

Step 3: The decline of the Ottoman Empire made the region explosive.
The Ottoman Empire had tried to strengthen itself through modernisation and internal reforms, but with very little success. One by one its European subject peoples broke away and declared independence.
The Balkan peoples based their claims for independence on nationality and used history to prove that they had once been independent but were subsequently subjugated by foreign powers.

Step 4: Rival claims turned neighbours into enemies.
The rebellious nationalities in the Balkans thought of their struggles as attempts to win back long-lost independence. As the different Slavic nationalities struggled to define their identity, they were fiercely jealous of each other and each hoped to gain more territory at the expense of the others.
Matters were further complicated because the Balkans also became the scene of big power rivalry.

Step 5: Imperial rivalry turned a regional quarrel into a world war.
During this period there was intense rivalry among the European powers over trade and colonies as well as naval and military might. Russia, Germany, England and Austro-Hungary were each keen on countering the hold of other powers over the Balkans, and on extending their own control over the area.
This led to a series of wars in the region and finally to the First World War.

Final Answer: After 1871 nationalism turned narrow and aggressive, and when it combined with the race for colonies, trade and military power, the competing claims in the Balkans dragged the great powers into the war of 1914.