Question

What led to the growth of nationalism in the Middle East after the Great War?

Answer 1

Nationalism and Islamism were two values that emerged in the Middle East after World War I (WWI). Nationalism takes place when people are unified as a nation based on common history, beliefs, and other cultural elements. When people are unified as a nation, they often desire land to create a state. After WWI, many Middle Eastern nations were unhappy with European occupation. This motivated many groups to become independent states and to seek out land to do so. In some cases, the desire for land has led to conflict between nations. Islamism is a concept in which a society is infused with Islamic values in all aspects of life. Islamic values are taught in school, shared at social events, and are even a part of the group's government system. Islamism became an important value that was incorporated in numerous Arab states after WWI. After the war, victorious European states divided Middle Eastern lands, and in some cases, they took advantage of the Arab population. Members of these populations harbored resentment against Western culture, leading to the push for Islamism.

Nationalist groups contributed to the weakening of the Ottoman Empire in eastern Europe, by seeking to throw off Muslim rule. ... It was this pan-Slavic nationalism that inspired the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in June 1914, an event that led directly to the outbreak of World War I.