The American people really came together after September 11^th.  Citizens from all areas of the nation raised the American flag, supported the soldiers in a war against terrorism, and displayed their patriotism in any way that they could.  This sudden rise in nationalism sent a clear message to the rest of the world—the United States was still going strong.

 

            It has been several years since the September 11^th attacks, but the American people are still concerned for their country.  The presidential election of 2004, combined with the challenging occupation of Iraq, has prompted millions of Americans to take a harsh stand on some sensitive issues. 

 

            Even in the midst of disagreement, however, you can still see plenty of “God Bless America” license plates in mid-day traffic, and even a number “Support our Troops” bumper stickers (many times, these are displayed by people who disagree with the War in Iraq but are thankful for the young men and women who are willing to help defend the nation).

 

            So is all of this patriotism a good thing?  For the most part—yes.  It helps give Americans a unique identity, as well as a sense of pride.  But patriotism can go to far.  It can eventually convince the people of a nation to adopt the attitude, “whatever I do is right, and whatever you do is wrong.” 

 

            It would be unfair to say that the American people have gotten to this point.  There is still plenty of healthy debate over all of the major issues, both foreign and domestic.  However, it’s easy to get a “historical perspective” of a time when a high dose of nationalism and patriotism proved to be destructive.  Just look at World War I.

 

            By the early 1900s, many European nations (such as England and France) had already been established world powers for centuries.  It was only natural for the people in these nations to have great pride for their longstanding history and national greatness.  Unfortunately, this respect led to a certain amount of disrespect for surrounding nations.  The close proximity of so many nations in Europe led to tensions across the continent.

 

            These tensions were only intensified by economic trade, colonization and expansion, and different alliances.  Added to this mixture was the feeling of outright jealousy, which all of the great European nations had for one another.  The citizens of each nation thought that their nation was the best, and most were willing to take up arms to prove it.

 

            In 1914, the tensions turned to war.   Francis Ferdinand, the archduke of Austria, was assassinated by a Serbian nationalist.  While tragic, this event should not have been enough to start a World War.  But it did.

 

            Austria-Hungary, infuriated by the attack, threatened the Serbians.  Backed by the powerful Russians, the Serbians did not back down.  When Austria-Hungary declared war, an alliance required Germany to join them.  Germany quickly declared war on Russia (remember, the Russians supported the Serbians), and a world war was underway.  The “Great War,” as it was known, lasted from 1914 to 1918, and claimed over 8,000,000 lives (and 30,000,000 casualties).

 

            History shows that the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand didn’t really start World War I.  Instead, it was a several decade build-up of nationalism and alliances.  The United States was not very involved in the pre-war politics, so it was able to avoid entering World War I until 1917.