The Pursuit of National Interests: Balancing Nationalism and Internationalism

1. Main Issue: To what extent should national interests be pursued? Unit 2: The Pursuit of National Interests

2. Read page 126 • Question for discussion: Do you think that it is Canada’s responsibility to “defend against those who threaten freedom, democracy, and human rights” in other countries around the world?

3. What is the relationship between nationalism and the pursuit of national interests? National Interest: a national interest can be cultural, economic, political, religious, or military goal • national interest can affect the nation itself but other nations as well • Examples?

5. National or International Interests? • Countries must decide between the two • Should policy benefit national interests or international interests?

6. Nationalist: believes that money and resources should be spent first on its own citizens. • Internationalist: believes that a nation should care for its own citizens and the greater group of world citizens

7. Why do nations pursue national interests? • Survival and security • Economic growth and power • Maintain/improve quality of life for citizens

8. In a small group (3-4) come up with 5 scenarios that might cause nationalist and internationalist interests to conflict • For each issue, explain what you think the national and international interests are. Which do you think should take priority in each scenario? • Put each of your scenarios on chart paper. You can draw diagrams, pictures or symbols to help represent your issue.

9. Case Study: Canada’s Northern Sovereignty • Recently, many nations have become interested in the water of the arctic • This has become a threat to Canada’s sovereignty in the north

11. International interest in the arctic include: • Environmental concerns (should oil tankers be allowed in such sensitive waters?) • Military advantage (subs can travel under the ice) • Thinning ice (trade routes increase as ice decreases) • Resources (offshore oil, diamond, precious metal reserves become more accessible as ice melts)

12. How might Canada respond? • Building military bases • Resolve land disputes with Aboriginal groups in the north • Expand resource exploration and development • Start moving more goods by sea through the northwest passage

13. Problems • Disagreements about control of waterways • Canada believes northwest passage is Canadian. U.S., Russia and European Union believe it is international territory • How does Canada plan to defend its territory?

14. Pursuit of National Interests: Nisga’a Nation • Read page 134 and 135 • Explain how the Nisga’a Nation pursued its national interests • What was the importance of the settlement for the Nisga’a Nation?

15. Factors that influence national interest Internal Factors - Events inside a country - storms, loss of an essential industry etc. External Factors - Events outside a country – flare up of armed conflict in neighboring states, or the peaceful settlement of the conflict

16. Changing views of national interest • Just as people’s understandings of nation differ, so can their opinions on what is in the national interest • National interest is not static or unchanging

17. “The world has changed in profound ways since the end of the cold war, but I fear our conceptions of national interest have failed to follow suit. A new, broader definition of national interest is needed in the new century, which would induce states to find greater unity in the pursuit of common goals and values. In the context of many of the challenges facing humanity today, the collective interest is the national interest.” – Kofi Annan

18. To what extent should the pursuit of national interests shape foreign policy? • Foreign policy: A course of action that a sovereign nation takes in its conduct with other nation-states or international organizations • Sometimes called foreign affairs or external relations

20. Domestic Policy: A plan of action that guides a government’s decisions about what to do within a country. • In Canada domestic policy decisions may include changing federal laws, settling Aboriginal land claims, and spending tax revenues

22. What are some elements of our school policy? • Choose a policy and write down how it affects students, teachers, school administrators and parents

23. How did foreign policy hinder nations’ national interest between WWI and WWII • Many nations pursue national interest through foreign policy • Foreign policy in the interest of one nation may hinder the interests of another

24. World War I (the Great War) • The war to end all wars • At the outbreak of the war Europe was seen as a “powder keg” – volatile and unstable, ready to explode at any moment • European armies were steadily building up their armies

25. First World War and the pursuit of National interests Major Causes • nationalism, imperialism, militarism and the formation of alliances are all seen as major causes of the war • Nationalist rivalries increased tensions between nations

26. Empire building

27. Militarism

30. Alliances • Triple Alliance: Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy • Triple Entente: Britain, France, and Russia

31. Immediate Causes • On June 28th 1914, a Bosnian Serb, GavriloPrincipassasinated the Austria-Hungarian heir to the throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand. • Bosnia wanted independence from Austria-Hungary

32. The Domino Effect • Austria-Hungary declared war on Bosnia. • Russia, russia-ed to the defence of of Serbia to increase its influence in the region • Germany, defended its ally, Austria-Hungary and declared war on Russia

33. German Aggression • Surrounded by unfriendly nations, Germany launches an attack on France to the west by going through Belgium and Holland • Britain, defending Belgium’s neutrality and its ally France declared war on Germany

34. Germany surrounded