Nationalism & Fascism Essay
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Nationalism and Fascism
Gerardo Aguilar Vera
College of Humanities &Social Sciences, Grand Canyon University
GOV-307: Introduction to Political Theory
Scott Robinson
December 17, 2023
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Nationalism and Fascism
We use the term nationalism frequently in the context of politics and government, but few
people truly know what it means. According to our textbook, nationalism is “the belief that people fall into distinct groups, or nations, based on a common heritage or birth. Each nation is then supposed to form the natural basis for a separate political unit, or nation-state” (Ball & O’Neill, 2020). Nationalism, to put it simply, is the deep-seated self-interest of a nation that proclaims itself superior to all others. Russia is one nation that adheres to a powerful sense of nationalism. To protect its internal interests, the nation makes every effort to remain independent of most other countries. Russia also thinks that because of the strength and domination the former USSR possessed, it is more important and powerful than its neighbors. Last year, Russia has also asserted that Ukraine's territory is legitimately theirs, and they have invaded the country's borders to seize it back (Ray, 2023).
Fascism is the political theory in which the government assumes total authority. People do not have the power to do or say anything. One person controls all the authority and makes all the decisions for the country in a fascist nation. One instance of a fascist regime is that of Hitler and the Nazis. Hitler led the Nazi Party. Adolf Hitler and his ally Benito Mussolini coopted fascism as a philosophy to seize control of Europe (Soucy, 2023). Hitler used fascism as a weapon of totalitarianism, turning it into an art form and inspiring Nazi Germany to wage a global conquest. The goal of Hitler's rise to power was to establish a dictatorship and socialism. The main objective of fascism is to bring the country to total unity. Fascism relies heavily on national unity because the nation is the supreme entity, and the individual is meaningless. Individuals serve the interests of the nation, not the other way around.
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Fascism and nationalism are quite different from one another. Hatred is the core of fascism. Love for one's country is what nationalism is. Nationalism aims to fortify the existing social identity, whereas fascism seeks to establish a new one. Fascism is inherently anti-
democratic. A government akin to a dictatorship is the primary objective of fascism. Due to their devotion to their country of origin, nationalists often hold racist opinions and are against immigration. It was only in the age of nationalism that the notion that each ethnic group should found its own state and include all its citizens. Nationalists think that nationality should be the basis for segregation within each nation. While fascism furthers an individual's agenda, nationalism serves the interests of the nation. Fascism cannot exist without nationalism, but nationalism cannot exist without fascism. This is another difference. This is because nationalism lies at the heart of fascism.
Fascism is based on the idea that nationalism can spread widely. Hitler, for example, planned a massive worldwide takeover because he was so fascinated with Germany. He slaughtered a vast number of people to exterminate immigrants and other racial groups that he believed posed a threat to this. However, nationalism is a necessary component of fascism; fascism arises when nationalism, militarism, and the desire to impose totalitarian rule come together, as they were in Saddam Hussein's Iraq. (Ball & O’Neill, 2020). Terrorist Saddam Hussein played a key role in the 911 attacks. He detested people who were different, particularly Americans. Hussein planned plane hijackings, each with a specific target, to destroy our nation.
The two ideologies differ even more from one another, despite their similarities. In summary, nationalism stems from a keen sense of love for one's country, while fascism serves as a rationale for the establishment of socialism and dictatorship. Nationalism emphasizes a single
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race, ethnic group, and religion. The goal of fascism is to establish complete unity under a dictatorial regime.
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References
Ball, T., Dagger, R., & O'Neill, D. I. (2020). Political ideologies and the democratic ideal
(11th ed.). New York, NY
Ray, M. (2023, December 15). Russia-Ukraine War. Encyclopedia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/event/2022-Russian-invasion-of-Ukraine
Soucy, R. (2023, December 3). fascism. Encyclopedia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/fascism