Question

How did nationalism contribute to the start of World War 1

Answer 1

Nationalism makes people become proud of their country, or increases their pride, and in doing this in the years leading up to WWI, added to militarism and imperialism. Countries built up their armies, added more weapons for more power, to show that they were better or deserved respect from the other countries. Countries raced to Africa for raw materials and thought they (vs other countries) should take over an area. By itself nationalism helped encourage countries to break away from other countries or from the empires that it was under (such as Serbia wishing to be its own country and not part of the Austria-Hungary Empire) and form their own countries. Many countries were formed as a result of WWI and nationalism.