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Nationalism is a driving force under which a country can unify. There are certain individuals whose actions have promoted nationalism. Many of these individuals wanted independence while others wanted to build powerful empires. Two individuals in history who have been nationalist leaders are Adolf Hitler and Mohandas M. Gandhi. Although these political figures used opposite tactics to achieve a nationalistic goal, they both tried to unify their people toward a common cause.
Adolf Hitler was the leader of the Nazi Party. He came to power through increasing popular support for the Nazis. During the 1930’s Germany was in a desperate state. Inflation was one of its biggest problems. The Treaty of Versailles had left Germany in a crippled state, having to pay reparations, give up their colonies and decrease their military. These were some of the “punishments”, Germany received for their role in WWI.
Wanting Germany to be back in a position of power, Adolf Hitler promoted nationalism by encouraging loyalty to the German State. One of the ways he did that was by using Jews as a scapegoat and putting the blame on them for Germany’s loss in WWI. The hatred of the Jewish people was promoted through Nazi propaganda which united the people in Germany. Anti-Semitism was promoted and Jews were discriminated against using the Nuremberg laws which denied them their basic rights. When the Holocaust began, Jews were rounded up into ghettos. Many Jews were eventually deported to concentration camps and killed. Adolf Hitler also promoted nationalism by promising the people of Germany that he would move Germany out of its desperate state and expand its territory. Hitler’s promises and actions promoted nationalism and gave many Germans hope which they accepted.
Hitler’s efforts were successful to an extent. His nationalist goal of rebuilding the German Empire was at first successful. He invaded many territories throughout Europe. He strengthened the German military and improved some economic factors. Although some in German society experienced improvements, many other groups faced displacement and even death. There were many people who opposed Hitler and the Nazi regime. Resistant fighters did not agree with the Nazi regime and wanted to overthrow it. These resistant fighters were often not very successful because they did not have the weapons or numbers needed to fight the Nazis. However, the United States along with the Allied Powers defeated Hitler and his goal of maintaining the Third Reich. Hitler killed himself and the Germans were defeated. As a result, Hitler was unsuccessful in achieving his goal.
Mohandas M. Gandhi is often referred to as the “father of India” by the Indian people. Gandhi led nationalistic movements to bring freedom to India and to get rid of British control. India at the time was a colony of the British, because it had the raw materials that were profitable to the British. Raw materials were sent from India to England where they were then manufactured into products that were sent back to India to be sold to the Indian people. The British used Indians for cheap labor and imposed many restrictions on them, angering many of the Indian people who felt they were being exploited.
Mohandas Gandhi attempted to promote Nationalism through acts of civil disobedience, such as the Salt March and peaceful rallies and protests. Civil disobedience was the idea that laws would be peacefully resisted in hopes of making change. In the example of the Salt March, Gandhi led a walk to the sea to symbolize Indian ownership of salt. His hope was to encourage Indians to produce their own salt in order to break the British monopoly on salt. Overall, these events along with actions like boycotts and speeches united Indians to drive out the British.
Gandhi was successful because eventually, India got its freedom as an independent nation. However, one of his goals was not accomplished. The Muslim and Hindu populations of India failed to remain united as independence approached. As a result, a new Muslim state, Pakistan, was made for the Muslim minority, while the Hindu majority controlled the newly independent India. Conflicts between these countries, especially along the border regions and in areas of dispute such as Kashmir have continued to cause suffering. Gandhi’s dream of an independent India was achieved, but his dream of a unified India was not.
Hitler and Gandhi were both strong nationalist leaders who committed to achieving their goals for both Germany and India. While Hitler committed human rights violations, Gandhi focused on nonviolent means to achieve his goal. Both were successful to some degree and unsuccessful in other ways.
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