How did the growth of national identity and nationalism prepare nations for the outbreak of war in 1914? Why were so many Europeans eager for war in 1914? Did education contribute to the growth of their enthusiasm?

Running Head : Nationalism and National Identity (WWI

The Role of Nationalism and National Identity in World War I

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The growth of nationalism and national identity was believed to be one of the major causes of World War I . Strong patriotic sentiments among countries in pre-war Europe resulted in the competition for national supremacy . This rivalry later started the war The Role of Nationalism and National Identity in World War I

The growth of nationalism and national identity was believed to be

one of the major causes of World War I . Strong patriotic sentiments among countries in pre-war Europe resulted in the competition for national supremacy . They waged war with each other over Africa , China and other protectorates across the world . This antagonism culminated in the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand on June 28 , 1914 , prompting the start of World War I (Essortment .com , 2002

Nationalism in 19th-Century Europe

By the 19th century , the specter of nationalism was already throughout Europe . During this period , it manifested itself to the continent in two forms - the desire of occupied nations for sovereignty and the aspiration of independent countries for prestige and dominance . These goals inevitably turned European countries against each other . Their rivalries eventually led to World War I (TheCorner .org , 2007

It would be fair to say that education contributed to the growth of their enthusiasm . Pro-independence parties of subject countries obtained sympathy for their cause by spreading propaganda that argued that their respective nations...