Nationalism is a phenomenon that goes hand in hand with international relations. Nationalism may be defined as a state of mind in which the individual feels that everyone owes his supreme secular loyalty to the nation-state. Nationalism, translated into world politics, implies the identification of the state or nation with the people- or at least the desirability of determining the extent of the state according to ethnocentric principles. A nation is a population that shares an identity, usually a language and a culture. People pledge their allegiance to nations in which they do identify culturally, socially, historically and linguistically. Throughout history men have been attached to their native soil, to the traditions of their parents and to established territorial authorities. Nationalism is one of the greatest factors in modern history and foreign policy. Many nationalist movements are internationalist in character. These movements are based on the assumption that nations and culture are the primary focus of allegiance.
International conflicts occur for many reasons. Power rivalries are the most common forms of conflict internationally. Nationalism is the driving force behind the quest for power. Every state wants power to be able to improve the conditions of well-being in their country. Nationalism is the root under all six types of international conflicts. Home territory and borders are the foundation to which nationalists are grounded to a country. People owe a certain allegiance to their homeland and will do anything to defend it and its honor. There are strong nationalistic attitudes over who rules a country; who controls the national governments. Everyone wants to feel respected and empowered, so when outsiders and such take over governments, people react in conflict. Economic conflict is the least of the six to stem from nationalism. Although, it does involve some aspects of nationalism, just not as much as the other five.
