According to the identity perspective, how did aggressive ideas influence international relations on the eve of World War I?

What will be an ideal response?


Varies. While various forms of nationalism established the relative identities of states, the shared identity of Social Darwinism encouraged struggle among ethnicities and races. Three types of nationalism prevailed before World War I: militant and racist nationalism, which focused on cultural and racial differences and endorsed an aggressive approach to politics; liberal nationalism, which emphasized individual rights, fundamental human rights, and the rule of law; and socialist nationalism, which focused on the economic and social equality of individuals and advocated that state institutions restrict economic freedoms and redistribute wealth. Each of these established a different identity for each state. In addition, the worldview of Social Darwinism applied the concept of “the survival of the fittest” to politics among ethnicities and races, leading to the glorification of struggle among states. Two of the effects of these ideologies are the cult of the offensive (or the idealization of offensive military doctrine) and hypernationalism (or the combination of culture and race in an effort to bolster national cohesion).

Political Science

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