The information explosion has exploded geographical boundaries. Internet has given access to each and everyone across the continents. Old days prejudice of color, race religion and beliefs are under stress. Global approach is always under way of mankind. The rapid transmission of news now evokes reactions across the globe. Repression of minorities alarm human rights organizations. Acts of barbarities are condemned. Despites this awakening world still thinks in terms of National identities. Though nationalism is during force for nation building till it harbors passion of self-glorification, this passion is bound to give birth to hatred narrow mindedness and egotism. Cosmopolitan thinking is the demand of time. It is believed that in the course of time, the need of internationalism will find an important place in this period of world forces raging very high.
Nationalism, in its sober and moderate sense, is a highly ennobling thing and without this ennobling factor no nation can make headway in any direction. People who have no National consciousness and who have no love for advancement of their national spirit, have no chance of making progress. Nevertheless, it must be remembered that nationalism in its aggressive and narrowly rigid form, is terribly harmful for the cause of world peace and universal amity. All the wars that have wrought world-wide destruction and devastation were the direct outcome of this aggressively narrow national spirit.
Mankind has determined to evolve the idea of internationalism and to give it a practical shape. Some of the great philosophers endeavored to translate the idea of internationalism into a concrete reality. With this and only this idea, the League of nations and organization, the UNO was created. But we have to see how far the idea of creating a Federation of mankind can be a successful reality. There are certain factors which tend to hamper this idea and there are certain forces which are bent upon making it a colossal failure.
Tremendous changes embracing every sphere of life and advancing with a swift pace were brought about in the nineteenth century, by the industrial revolution and the progress of science. Nationalism and Democracy were the two most potent forces brought into being by the French revolution of 1789. Here, however, we are concerned about the development of Nationalism which was later transformed into aggressive Chauvinism and which at a later date set the whole world ablaze.
Nationalism was one of the most potent causes of the disappearance of the mighty empires of Austria and Turkey. It was in the nineteenth century that the subject people were profoundly stirred by National consciousness and plunged in desperate attempt to secure separate Nation-states for themselves. The movement was however, guided by a creative upsurge.
Nationalism soon degenerated and became aggressive. Patriots and Politicians everywhere clamored to take their nation to the pinnacle of World Power and made their National interests paramount. Imperialism received a great impetus at the hands of European statesmen, and the competition for colonies became keener that it had been in the past. There ensued conflicts and struggle. In particular, Nazism in Germany and Fascism in Italy which stood for narrow nationalism, threatened the very existence of humanity. Nationalism, thus became a great menace.
As already been said, nationalism was the result of technological changes due to the rapid advancement of science. The decay of feudalism brought about a broadening of outlooks, and the growth of capitalism encouraged nationalistic movements everywhere. The continuity of the historical forces which had produced nationalism caused an International movement to take shape. Men came to think that Nationalism was not enough for humanity. People, today, are talking about world government. International co-operation has already set its foot in many spheres. Nationalism is being decried while many subject people have yet to achieve their ambition to secure freedom and constitute themselves as Nation states.
Almost all the wars in our century and in the last were fought at the altar of nationalism, but war today has become suicidal for the human race. We are living in the atomic age. The world is undergoing a cataclysmic transformation. It is not merely changing as has always been the case and science is not the only cause. There is also a conflict of Ideologies. The World has been divided into two camps – Capitalists and Communists. It is a distinct advance upon nationalism and is good for humanity, but at the same time, it is full of dangerous implications and consequences. We have to guard against them. We are not only to watch and wait; it is our sacred duty at this hour of crisis to promote the concept of Internationalism for the realization for the realization of a better order of society.