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Nationalism increased imperialist ambitions by allowing the development of Social Darwinist ideals, under the delusion of saving a nation, at the cost of citizens becoming financially and socially disadvantaged.

Color Key:
Blue: Pre-World Wars era
Green: WW2 era
Purple: Cold War era

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Ikuhide Kobayashi, Famous Places in Tokyo: True View of the Post Office at Edobashi, 1889, 1889, Boston, Sharf Collection, Museum of Fine Arts.

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The painting "Famous Places in Tokyo: True View of the Post Office at Edobashi", features a modern and westernized post office, but the sides of the painting have traditional Japanese homes. The people are mixed with some wearing western styles while others are wearing traditional Japanese wear. Mt. Fuji, a famous symbol of Japan, is also pictured on the right side of the painting.

During the 1950s-1960s, Japan was industrialized by the US and Europe who believed that by doing so, they were saving the country from its previously "poor" or "backward" state. Japan was forced to sign treaties that disadvantaged the country and its people.

Despite this, Japan never lost touch with its own culture. The Meiji Restoration, starting in 1868, returned Japan back to its original state while also adding to making the country better through the implementation of new technology gained during the time they were imperialized.

The addition of Japanese features in the painting suggested that Japan embraced the new inventions and cultures as conveniences but was also able to keep pride in itself and its own identity as a country. This became a key factor in their progression in the future.

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Being imperialized was important in the development of Japan as it set them up to gain similar ambitions.

“The Japanese rationale in piecing together this overseas empire went roughly as follows: We are merely doing the same thing that the European great powers have been doing for centuries.”¹

Over the course of 50 years, Japan gained power through colonizing and terrorizing the eastern world. Japan 'bounced back' from being a country that was previously imperialized, by western powers, to becoming a nationalist country that had motives to spread its own culture and influence.

Japan had the Social Darwinist ideology that it was their sole right to rule the east the same way that other world powers, such as Europe and the US, ruled their parts of the world. They forcefully colonized countries in the east, taking land through violence and destruction. This proved to be very detrimental for many citizens who were stuck in the crossfire between countries. Many lives and homes were lost in the fights in which Japan invaded its neighbors.

Japan's influence slowly grew, and as a result, it became one of the major powers during WW2 with Hideki Tojo as its dictator. Japan hadn't become heavily colonized like other countries because it didn't completely give in to foreign influences. This allowed the country to continue to have its individuality.

¹Michael Bess, Choices under Fire : Moral Dimensions of World War II (New York: Vintage Books, 2008), 42–57.

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During WW2, many countries were making their move to spread their influence and prevent their own country from falling to another.

The Holocaust, occurring during WW2, was the mass genocide of Jews and other races that the Nazis considered part of an "inferior race". The Nazis believed that this would strengthen their country. Germany was motivated by nationalism and Social Darwinist ideas, believing that expansion outward (imperialism) started with making their country as homogeneous as possible.

The Nazis believed that this was for the best of their country, but it caused many people to suffer and live in fear--especially Jewish people. Groups that were not targeted during the Holocaust also didn't have an easy life as they were expected to conform and be bystanders even if they didn't feel it was right. Germans were forced to sell out and even kill their own Jewish neighbors. Any resistance or attempts to help the Jewish people could cause problems to the German citizens or their families.

Jewish people of all ages were imprisoned in concentration camps. Poems that were written in these camps depicted how children felt outraged by the way they were forced to live. "What, on the ground I have to lie? / Eat black potatoes? No! Not I! / I've got to stay? It's dirty here!... Here in Terezin, life is hell / And when I'll go home again, I can't yet tell."¹

The Nazis persecuted Jews and other groups of people they perceived as inferior because they believed it weakened their country.

Germany was strongly nationalist, believing that they were the superior race, and they would only become stronger once they got rid of the Jewish people that they perceived as inferior, showing the country's strong Social Darwinist ideas.

¹Fritz Eichenberg and Státní Židovské Muzeum (Czech Republic), I Never Saw Another Butterfly. Children’s Drawings and Poems from Terezin Concentration Camp, 1942-1944. (New York, Mcgraw-Hill, 1964), 2–3.

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From 1944 to 1954, the US imperialized and unfairly took advantage of Guatemala. The US profited off of Guatemala’s bananas through the American-owned UFCO (United Fruit Company). Citizens of Guatemala couldn't provide for themselves or profit off of their own cash crop due to the US occupying large amounts of land and crops. This came to a halt when Jacobo Arbenz was elected president. Under his rule, he gave the land back to the citizens of Guatemala. The US was angered by this and decided to fabricate lies about Guatemala in an attempt to regain control.

The US, being the more influential country, used this to its advantage when attempting to manipulate the American and Guatemalan public into thinking that Guatemala was a communist country that needed to be saved. Guatemala was made to be the enemy for defending its own country's property.

People that had worked with the US in their operations had later admitted to the lies and deception. Philip C. Roettinger, a former CIA agent, discussed his feelings about the event, “I now think my involvement in the overthrow of Arbenz was a terrible mistake. The reasons the Eisenhower administration gave were false; the consequences were disastrous…The Boston-based company, which considered its rights superior to those of Guatemalans, retaliated with a publicity campaign to paint Guatemala red [Communist]....”¹

The US, through its nationalist view, saw itself as the superior country, and therefore, had the obligation to take over and control Guatemala as it wished. There was retaliation to this when Arbenz was elected, which the US saw as a challenge to its authority. The US created lies and deceived the public in order to create the illusion that they were saving the country from communism.

¹Philip C. Roettinger, “The Company Then and Now,” The Progressive, July 1986, 50.

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Political Dictionary, “Domino Effect,” n.d.

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The Cold War was the result of two big world powers, the US and the USSR, who had opposing ideologies about government. Both countries wanted to spread their influence and were strongly nationalistic. Neither wanted to back down, which led to fierce competition and a tension-filled time.

Both the US and the USSR had a long history of colonization before the Cold War. They continued to pursue these imperialistic ambitions throughout the war, believing that the more areas of the world they spread their influence to, the more power they would gain and this would cause them to slowly take over more parts of the world. This was referred to as the "domino effect". Taking over smaller countries would slowly lead to the taking of larger countries. The end goal for the USSR was to eventually take over the US and vice versa for the goal of the US.

This led to quickened colonization of countries that had less influence and couldn't easily resist. The citizens in these countries suffered unfair treatment and were forced to obey the new colonizing leaders.

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The Cold War era was also the start of decolonization.
In Sukarno's speech at the Bandung conference (1955), the Indonesian president spoke about the greed of colonization and its injustices to colonized countries. He urged countries that were subjected to being inferior under Social Darwinist ideals to stand up for themselves and reclaim their countries.

“All of us, I am certain, are united by more important things than those which superficially divide us. We are united, for instance, by a common detestation of colonialism in whatever form it appears. We are united by a common detestation of racialism. And we are united by a common determination to preserve and stabilise peace in the world....”¹

Decolonization, in a way, is a new form of nationalism. It allowed countries that were previously colonized by more powerful countries, to find their worth and stand up for themselves.

Unlike previous forms of nationalism, decolonization was not about taking and destruction. It was more about pride in one’s country and having the confidence that it can be fought for and brought back into the hands of the citizens. Colonized countries banded together to motivate each other and to discuss the actions they can take to make their countries their own again.

¹“Sukarno: Speech at the opening of the Bandung conference (1955).” World at war: understanding conflict and society, ABC-CLIO, 2021. worldatwar.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/768453