Bismarck rallied the German speaking people within the formerHoly Roman Empire where they for centuries looked to local noblemenfor leadership. They later followed Bismarck’s call to nationhoodbased upon their common German language and shared culture. Thisincluded their heritage of victories and failures built into theirhistory and myth, dating back to the Roman Empire. The UnitedStates on the other hand is comprised of many different cultures,including race, language, various heritage, income levels, etc. Butwe consider ourselves a nation too, despite our diversity. Wecelebrate our national heritage in acts of patriotism; flags,parades, military service, etc. What is the comparison betweennationalism and patriotism? If the Germans argue the legitimacy oftheir nation based on the shared heritage of the German people,then what is the common heritage of the American people? What makesus a nation?
