Nationalism a sense of “national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests” (“Nationalism,” 2011, para. 1). Positive effects of nationalism are seeing a nation come together to overthrow of colonial rule (Beck, Black, & Krieger, 2005) and seeing it create competition between nations spurring scientific and technological advances (Beck, Black, & Krieger, 2005). Some negative effects of nationalism are it causing a rise of extreme nationalistic movements (Beck, Black, & Krieger, 2005) and it also cause a negative type of competition leading to warfare (Beck, Black, & Krieger, 2005). Everything has a positive and a negative side, and nationalism is no exception.

A positive effect of nationalism is that it can build up a desire for independence within a country and this can cause them to overthrow colonial rule. An example of nationalism helping overthrow colonial rule is shown between the years 1950 till 1980 when forty-seven different African countries gained their independence by overthrowing colonial rulers (Beck, Black, & Krieger, 2005). Another example of how nationalism can make its nation want to control itself instead of by becoming independent was in Southeast Asia when nationalism led to the overthrow of colonial rule (Wilson). After World War 2, nationalist in Africa and Asia, overthrew European colonial rule and reigned their peoples independence in one of the world a nation’s great revolutionary movements (Colonialism, Overthrow Of: Sub-Saharan Africa, 2009).

Overthrowing colonial rulers isn’t the only positive effect of nationalism, it can also help advance a nation scientifically and technologically. An example of this is during the 1900’s Germany and Britain was competing to build battle ships to improve their navies (Beck, Black, & Krieger, 2005).

Nationalism can lead to the rise of extreme Nationalistic movements, such as Zionism and Nazism (Beck, Black, & Krieger, 2005). Both of these nationalistic groups believed that the ethnic- supremacy was the master race and the chosen people (Rake, 2005). Both groups practice ethnic cleansing (Rake, 2005). The member of Nazism did by