Secessionist Movements During World War II Essay Sample

On September 1, 1939, the German invasion of Poland launched World War II in Europe. The axis, Germany, Japan, and Italy, as well as the allies, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, the United States, and France, were all participants in this horrifying controversy, which resulted in millions of deaths. After a six-year war, World War II came to a close on September 2, 1945, when the Axis powers surrendered. Although many elements contributed to the emergence of nationalism during this time, aggression sparked secessionist movements in China, Africa, and Israel. 

The rise of nationalism throughout China grew during World War II. “In response, student protests erupted in Beijing on May 4, 1919, and later spread to cities across China. The protests set off a cultural and intellectual ferment known as the May Fourth Movement. Its goal was to strengthen China”, the authors write on page 406 of the textbook. According to the writers, “In 1921, Sun Yixian and his Guomindang (gwoh meen DAWNG) or Nationalist party, established a government in south China. Sun planned to raise an army, defeat the warlords, and spread his government rule over all of China”. This quote specifically mentions a nationalist party, meaning since it had mentioned spreading his nationalistic government rule throughout the country, nationalism will rise in China. 

During World War II, the development of nationalism in Africa accelerated. Page 985 explains that “Yet South Africa was also home to a vital nationalist movement…They formed a political party, later known as the African National Congress (ANC), to protest unfair laws”(pg 395).  They protested unfair laws to show their pride and respect for their country. In addition, “In the negritude movement, writers expressed pride in their African roots and protested colonial rule” (pg 396). This quote explicitly states “expressed pride in their African roots”, the action of expressing a country's pride is the definition of nationalism. 

The development of nationalism in Israel surged during World War II. For instance, “Tens of thousands of Jews immigrated to Palestine due to the Zionist movement and the effects of anti-Semitism in Europe”(Esler and Ellis 400). This sparked a rise in nationalism as a result of movements to defend not just themselves, but their country as well. Moreover, the writer states that the ”Jewish settlers set up factories, built new towns, and established farming communities…The Jewish settlers established their own military defense force”(Esler and Ellis 400). Upgrading their military forces demonstrates their pride in their country. On page 400, the text states that “For the rest of the century, Arab and Jews fought over the land that Arabs called Palestine and Jews called Israel”. This is essentially the definition of nationalism: a sense of pride in one's homeland and a willingness to fight for it no matter what.

World War II had a massive impact on the world from September 1939 to September 1945. Violence, prejudice, dehumanization, and infringement characterized the conflict between the Allies and the Axis. While invasions, revolutions, and independence protests in China, and Africa, resulting from all of these factors. These created an increase in nationalism in all of the countries involved. This war not only killed millions of combatants, but also millions of civilians.