NATIONALISM

An ideology known as nationalism places a strong emphasis on loyalty, devotion, or allegiance

to a nation or nation-state and maintains that these commitments take precedence over those of
other people or groups.
Modern nationalism is a trend. People have been loyal to their home countries, their parents'
traditions, and established territorial governments throughout history. However, it wasn't until
the end of the 18th century that nationalism became a widely accepted sentiment that shaped
public and private life and was one of the major, if not the major, single determining factors of
modern history. Due to its dynamic vigor and pervasive nature, nationalism is frequently
wrongly believed to be very old and to always play a role in political behavior. Actually, its
earliest truly potent manifestations may be found in the American and French Revolutions. The
early 19th century saw its expansion from the newly colonized nations of Latin America to
central Europe, and from there, by the middle of the century, to eastern and southeastern Europe.
In Asia and Africa at the start of the 20th century, nationalism exploded. As a result, the 19th
century has been referred to as the European Age of Nationalism, whilst the 20th century saw the
birth and conflict of strong national movements throughout Asia and Africa.