In politics, a movement that consciously aims to unify a nation, create a state, or liberate it from foreign or imperialistic rule. Nationalist movements became a potent factor in European politics during the 19th century; since 1900 nationalism has become a strong force in Asia and Africa and in the late 1980s revived strongly in E Europe.
Stimulated by the French Revolution, movements arose in the 19th century in favor of national unification in Germany and Italy and national independence in Ireland, Italy, Belgium, Hungary, Bohemia, Poland, Finland, and the Balkan states. Revival of interest in the national language, history, traditions, and culture has accompanied and influenced most political movements. See also African nationalism.
In political terms, nationalism can be pursued as an ideology that stresses the superiority of a nation and its inhabitants compared with other nations and peoples. Most countries enjoy, and wish to demonstrate, national pride but—carried to an extreme—nationalism can produce dangerous regimes and political systems (such as that in Nazi Germany in the 1930s).
The conviction that the culture and interests of one's nation are superior to those of any other nation.

In music, the adoption by 19th-century composers of folk idioms with which an audience untrained in the classics could identify. Nationalism was encouraged by governments in the early 20th century for propaganda purposes in times of war and political tension. Composers of nationalist music include Smetana, Sibelius, Grieg, Dvorák, Nielsen, Kodály, Copland, Elgar, Shostakovich, and Stephen Foster.