W ha t fa cto rs m otiv a te d It a li a n, G erm an, J a pane se le aders to p urs ue a ggre ssiv e fo re ig n p oli c ie s in th e 1 930s? T he s ho rt a nsw er is th a t th e se c o untr ...

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W ha t fa cto rs m otiv a te d It a li a n, G erm an, J a pane se le aders to p urs ue a ggre ssiv e fo re ig n p oli c ie s in th e 1 930s?
T he s ho rt a nsw er is th a t th e se c o untr ie s w ere e ach in th e g rip o f a fa nta tic a l ty p e o f " n a tio na li s m ," p erh a ps fo r e sse ntia lly
th e s a m e r e aso ns.
T he m ore th o ro ug h a nsw er to th is q ue stio n n e eds to r e co gniz e v a rio us s o cia l a nd e co no m ic fa cto rs th a t w ere a ll c o m in g
to geth e r in th e p ost- W orld W ar I y e ars ....
S olu tio n
T he s ho rt a nsw er is th a t th e se c o untr ie s w ere e ach in th e g rip o f a fa nta tic a l ty p e o f " n a tio na li s m ," p erh a ps fo r e sse ntia lly
th e s a m e r e aso ns.
T he m ore th o ro ug h a nsw er to th is q ue stio n n e eds to r e co gniz e v a rio us s o cia l a nd e co no m ic fa cto rs th a t w ere a ll c o m in g
to geth e r in th e p ost- W orld W ar I y e ars . B ut th e se fa cto rs w ere in tr ic a te ly c o nne cte d w ith th e e th nic c ha uvin is m o f th e se
sta te s. A ny d is cussio n o f n a tio na li s m w ill in e vita bly r e fe r to th e e co no m ie s a nd s o cia l s tr u ctu re s a s th e y e xis te d, a nd
cha ng ed, in It a ly , G erm any, a nd J a pan a t th a t tim e.
O f a ll th e la rg e c o untr ie s in E uro pe, It a ly a nd G erm any w ere th e m ost r e ce nt o ne s to h a ve fo rm ed u nifie d n a tio n-s ta te s, in
1 870–71. F or c e ntu rie s, b oth h a d b een a p atc hw ork o f b asic a lly in d epend ent, a nd o fte n fo re ig n-d om in a te d, p rin cip ali tie s.
B oth th e G erm ans a nd It a li a ns h a d a s e nse o f p ast, a nd p artly m yth ic , g re atn e ss w hic h th e y fe lt h a d b een d enie d to th e m
e ith e r b y th e ir o w n b ackw ard r u le rs o r b y th e o th e r E uro pean p ow ers w ho w ere s e en a s je alo usly p re se rv in g th e ir o w n
d om in a nce . S o, m any in It a ly a nd G erm any b eli e ve d th e y h a d a h ug e a m ount o