Ultranationalism, or extreme nationalism, is an extremist form of

nationalism Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Theory, I ...

in which a country asserts or maintains hegemony, supremacy, or other forms of control over other nations (usually through violent coercion) to pursue its specific interests. Ultranationalist entities have been associated with the engagement of

political violence Political violence is violence which is perpetrated in order to achieve political goals. It can include violence which is used by a State (polity), state against other states (war), violence which is used by a state against civilians and non-st ...

even during peacetime. In ideological terms, scholars such as the British political theorist Roger Griffin found that ultranationalism arises from seeing modern

nation state A nation state, or nation-state, is a political entity in which the State (polity), state (a centralized political organization ruling over a population within a territory) and the nation (a community based on a common identity) are (broadly ...

s as living

organism An organism is any life, living thing that functions as an individual. Such a definition raises more problems than it solves, not least because the concept of an individual is also difficult. Many criteria, few of them widely accepted, have be ...

s. In stark mythological ways, political campaigners have divided societies into those that are perceived as being degenerately inferior and those perceived as having great

cultural Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

destinies. Ultranationalism has been an aspect of

fascism Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...

, with historic governments such as the regimes of

Fascist Italy Fascist Italy () is a term which is used in historiography to describe the Kingdom of Italy between 1922 and 1943, when Benito Mussolini and the National Fascist Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictatorship. Th ...

and

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

building on ultranationalist foundations by using specific plans for supposed widespread national renewal. Another major example was the

Khmer Rouge The Khmer Rouge is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), and by extension to Democratic Kampuchea, which ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. The name was coined in the 1960s by Norodom Sihano ...

regime in Democratic Kampuchea (

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

) that promoted ultranationalism.

Background concepts and broader context

British political theorist Roger Griffin argued that ultranationalism is essentially founded on

xenophobia Xenophobia (from (), 'strange, foreign, or alien', and (), 'fear') is the fear or dislike of anything that is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression that is based on the perception that a conflict exists between an in-gr ...

in a way that finds supposed legitimacy "through deeply mythicized narratives of past cultural or political periods of historical greatness or of old scores to settle against alleged enemies". It can also draw on "vulgarized forms" of different aspects of the natural sciences such as anthropology and genetics,

eugenics Eugenics is a set of largely discredited beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter the frequency of various human phenotypes by inhibiting the fer ...

specifically playing a role, in order "to rationalize ideas of national superiority and destiny, of degeneracy and subhumanness" in Griffin's opinion. According to Griffin, ultranationalists view the modern nation state as a living organism directly akin to a physical person such that it can decay, grow, die, and additionally can experience rebirth. He highlighted Nazi Germany as a regime founded on ultranationalism. Ultranationalist activism can adopt varying attitudes towards historical traditions within the populace. For instance, the British Union of Fascists adopted a secularist-minded platform centered on perceived technological progress. In contrast, the

Iron Guard The Iron Guard () was a Romanian militant revolutionary nationalism, revolutionary Clerical fascism, religious fascist Political movement, movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel M ...

in the

Kingdom of Romania The Kingdom of Romania () was a constitutional monarchy that existed from with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King of Romania, King Carol I of Romania, Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian royal family), until 1947 wit ...

utilized a hardline form of mysticism-driven religion to encourage determination among the nation's ultranationalists. Nonetheless, obsessive views on ethnicity and other divisions as well as connecting politics to motifs of sacrifice generally constitute the psychological framework behind these movements. According to American scholar Janusz Bugajski, summing up the doctrine in practical terms, "in its most extreme or developed forms, ultra-nationalism resembles fascism, marked by a xenophobic disdain of other nations, support for authoritarian political arrangements verging on

totalitarianism Totalitarianism is a political system and a form of government that prohibits opposition from political parties, disregards and outlaws the political claims of individual and group opposition to the state, and completely controls the public s ...

, and a mythical emphasis on the 'organic unity' between a charismatic leader, an organizationally amorphous movement-type party, and the nation." Bugajski believes that

civic nationalism Civic nationalism, otherwise known as democratic nationalism, is a form of nationalism that adheres to traditional liberal values of freedom, tolerance, equality, and individual rights, and is not based on ethnocentrism. Civic nationalists ...

and the related concept of

patriotism Patriotism is the feeling of love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to one's country or state. This attachment can be a combination of different feelings for things such as the language of one's homeland, and its ethnic, cultural, politic ...

both can contain significantly positive elements, contributing to the common social good at times such as during national calamities. In his view, these doctrines stand in contrast to the extreme approach of certain ideologies with more irrational actions.

Historical movements and analysis

American historian Walter Skya wrote in ''Japan's Holy War: The Ideology of Radical Shinto Ultranationalism'' that ultranationalism in Japan drew upon traditional

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

spiritual beliefs and militaristic attitudes regarding the nation's racial identity. By the early 20th century, fanaticism arising from this combination of ethnic nationalism and religious nationalism caused opposition to democratic governance and support for Japanese territorial expansion. Skya particularly observed in his work the connection between ultranationalism and political violence by citing how between 1921 and 1936 three serving and two former Prime Ministers of Japan were assassinated. The totalitarian Japanese government of the 1930s and 1940s ( Shōwa Japan) did not just rely on encouragement by the country's military. It additionally received widespread popular support. Cambodian historian Sambo Manara found that the belief system sets forth a vision of supremacism in terms of

international relations International relations (IR, and also referred to as international studies, international politics, or international affairs) is an academic discipline. In a broader sense, the study of IR, in addition to multilateral relations, concerns al ...

whereby xenophobia or hatred of foreigners to the point of extremism leads to policies of social separation and segregation. He argued that the Cambodian genocide is a specific example of this ideology when it is applied in practice. He stated, "Obviously, it was ultranationalism, combined with the notion of class struggle in communism and a group of politicians, which lead to the establishment of Democratic Kampuchea, a ruthless regime which claimed approximately three million lives", with militant leaders finally deciding to "cut all diplomatic and economic ties with almost all countries" due to a "narrow-minded doctrine without taking into account all the losses they would face". In Manara's opinion, "this effectively destroyed the nation." The totalitarian dictatorship of the Romanian leader Nicolae Ceaușescu has been described as an example of

Communism Communism () is a political sociology, sociopolitical, political philosophy, philosophical, and economic ideology, economic ideology within the history of socialism, socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a ...

taking an ultranationalist approach by ''

Haaretz ''Haaretz'' (; originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , , ) is an List of newspapers in Israel, Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel. The paper is published in Hebrew lan ...

'', which cited the

antisemitism Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...

of Ceaușescu in terms of actions such as his

historical denialism Historical negationism, also called historical denialism, is falsification or distortion of the historical record. This is not the same as ''historical revisionism'', a broader term that extends to newly evidenced, fairly reasoned academic reint ...

the Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

. He also made efforts to

purge In history, religion and political science, a purge is a position removal or execution of people who are considered undesirable by those in power from a government, another, their team leaders, or society as a whole. A group undertaking such an ...

Romanians who had Jewish backgrounds from positions of political authority. ''Haaretz'' has also labeled the Hungarian Prime Minister

Viktor Orbán Viktor Mihály Orbán (; born 31 May 1963) is a Hungarian lawyer and politician who has been the 56th prime minister of Hungary since 2010, previously holding the office from 1998 to 2002. He has also led the Fidesz political party since 200 ...

an ultranationalist due to his views on autocratic rule and racial identity, particularly Orbán's public condemnation of " race-mixing". He has also been called an ultranationalist by NPR, an American news agency, citing his opposition to democratic liberalism. In late 2015, the Israeli political journalist Gideon Levy wrote that the

Israeli–Palestinian conflict The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is an ongoing military and political conflict about Territory, land and self-determination within the territory of the former Mandatory Palestine. Key aspects of the conflict include the Israeli occupation ...

has led to the decay of the civil society within Israel, with an ultranationalist movement that "bases its power on incitement to hatred" using "folkloric religion" gaining ground over decades. He wrote: Russian irredentism, in which a militant imperial state that stretches across both Asia and Europe without regard for current international borders is proposed, has been described as ultranationalism by the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'', with the aggressive actions of Russian President

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...

being credited as an evolution of political arguments made by multiple figures in the past. Examples include

Nikolai Berdyaev Nikolai Alexandrovich Berdyaev (; ; – 24 March 1948) was a Russian Empire, Russian philosopher, theologian, and Christian existentialism, Christian existentialist who emphasized the existentialism, existential spiritual significance of Pe ...

, Aleksandr Dugin (the author of 1997's '' The Foundations of Geopolitics: The Geopolitical Future of Russia''), Lev Gumilyov, and Ivan Ilyin. The newspaper highlighted the justifications given in support of the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

, quoting Putin's declaration that he must militarily combat an "empire of lies", created by the United States in order to justify its desire to suffocate Russia. In a 2021 story,

Bloomberg News Bloomberg News (originally Bloomberg Business News) is an international news agency headquartered in New York City and a division of Bloomberg L.P. Content produced by Bloomberg News is disseminated through Bloomberg Terminals, Bloomberg T ...

stated that the rise of ultranationalist viewpoints in China, particularly in terms of those who advocate extremism on social media, presents a direct challenge to the current government of the nation, with the paramount leader

Xi Jinping Xi Jinping, pronounced (born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has been the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China), chairman of the Central Military Commission ...

facing opposition to his attempts to set forth

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

-based economic reforms in relation to

greenhouse gas Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are the gases in the atmosphere that raise the surface temperature of planets such as the Earth. Unlike other gases, greenhouse gases absorb the radiations that a planet emits, resulting in the greenhouse effect. T ...

es. According to Bloomberg, Chinese political activists asserted a

conspiracy theory A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that asserts the existence of a conspiracy (generally by powerful sinister groups, often political in motivation), when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * ...

that said that the reforms represent some kind of capitulation to foreign interests at the expense of individual Chinese people.

Environmentalist Environmentalism is a broad Philosophy of life, philosophy, ideology, and social movement about supporting life, habitats, and surroundings. While environmentalism focuses more on the environmental and nature-related aspects of Green politics, g ...

policies have come into being in a complex fashion inside China, facing complicated opinions among many. Under the rule of Mohammed bin Salman, who formally serves as a

Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

, Saudi Arabia has been described by multiple analysts as embracing ultranationalism in a shift away from the government's previous reliance on Islamist political arguments. For instance,

France 24 France 24 ( in French) is a French state-owned publicly funded international news television network based in Paris. Its channels, broadcast in French, English, Arabic and Spanish, are aimed at the overseas market. Based in the Paris suburb ...

stated in a 2019 report that while "promoting ultra-nationalism" the Crown Prince had introduced "glitzy concerts, magic shows and sporting extravaganzas with thumping after parties". Also in 2019, the ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...

'' likewise described the ideological shift as "a wave" that the leader had "swept across the kingdom".

Ultranationalist political parties

Currently represented in national governments or legislatures

Many

political parties A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular area's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...

have been described as ultranationalist. *:

Taliban , leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders , leader1_name = {{indented plainlist, * Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013) * Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016) * Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...

Republican Party of Armenia The Republican Party of Armenia (RPA, ; , ''HHK'') is a National conservatism, national-conservative List of political parties in Armenia, political party in Armenia led by the third president of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan. It was the first polit ...

*: Pauline Hanson's One Nation *: Freedom Party of Austria *:

Vlaams Belang Vlaams Belang (; ; VB) is a Flemish nationalist, Eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels Capital Region of Belgium. It is widely considered by the media and political analysts to be on the polit ...

*: Revival *: Republican Party *: Homeland Movement *: ELAM *: Freedom and Direct Democracy *: Danish People's Party *: Conservative People's Party of Estonia *: National Rally *: Finns Party *: People's Power *:

Alternative for Germany Alternative for Germany (, AfD, ) is a Far-right politics in Germany (1945–present), far-right,Far-right: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Right-wing populism, right-wing populist and National conservatism, national-conservative p ...

Spartans Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the valley of Evrotas river in Laconia, in southeastern P ...

, Greek Solution,

Victory The term victory (from ) originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal duel, combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitutes a strategic vi ...

*: Our Homeland Movement *: Shiv Sena *: Otzma Yehudit, Mafdal–Religious Zionism *:

Brothers of Italy Brothers of Italy (, FdI) is a National conservatism, national-conservative and Right-wing populism, right-wing populist political party in Italy, that is currently the country's ruling party. After becoming the largest party in the 2022 Ita ...

*: Conservative Party of Japan * : National Alliance * : Union Solidarity and Development Party *: Namibian Economic Freedom Fighters *: Party for Freedom, Forum for Democracy *:

Workers' Party of Korea The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), also called the Korean Workers' Party (KWP), is the sole ruling party of North Korea. Founded in 1949 from a merger between the Workers' Party of North Korea and the Workers' Party of South Korea, the WPK is ...

Hamas The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...

*: Confederation Liberty and Independence ( National Movement), Confederation of the Polish Crown *: Chega *: Alliance for the Union of Romanians, S.O.S. Romania, Party of Young People *:

Liberal Democratic Party of Russia LDPR – Liberal Democratic Party of Russia () is a Russian Ultranationalism, ultranationalist and Right-wing populism, right-wing populist List of political parties in Russia, political party. It succeeded the Liberal Democratic Party of the ...

, Rodina *: Serbian Party Oathkeepers *:

Economic Freedom Fighters The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is a South African communist and black nationalist political party. It was founded by expelled former African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) president Julius Malema, and his allies, on 26 July 20 ...

, uMkhonto weSizwe *: Slovak National Party *: Vox *:

Sweden Democrats The Sweden Democrats ( , SD ) is a Nationalism, nationalist and Right-wing populism, right-wing populist political party in Sweden founded in 1988. As of 2024, it is the largest member of Sweden's Right-wing politics, right-wing bloc and the sec ...

Swiss People's Party The Swiss People's Party (, SVP; , PPS), also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre (, UDC; , UDC), is a national-conservative and right-wing populist political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Marcel Dettling, it is the largest party in ...

*: Palang Pracharath Party, United Thai Nation Party *:

Nationalist Movement Party The Nationalist Movement Party, or alternatively translated as Nationalist Action Party (, MHP), is a Turkish Far-right politics, far-right, ultranationalism, ultranationalist Political parties in Turkey, political party. The group is often de ...

*: Svoboda Several political parties have been described as having ultranationalist factions. *: La Libertad Avanza *:

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...

*: Fidesz *:

Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...

*: Gerindra *:

Likud Likud (, ), officially known as Likud – National Liberal Movement (), is a major Right-wing politics, right-wing, political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon in an alliance with several right-wing par ...

*: Lega *: Liberal Democratic Party *:

Law and Justice Law and Justice ( , PiS) is a Right-wing populism, right-wing populist and National conservatism, national-conservative List of political parties in Poland, political party in Poland. The party is a member of European Conservatives and Refo ...

*: United Russia

Represented parties with former ultranationalist tendencies or factions

Several political parties historically had ultranationalist tendencies. * : Serb Democratic Party *

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...

* : Jobbik * : Golkar * : Kataeb Party *:

United Malays National Organisation The United Malays National Organisation (Abbreviation, abbrev: UMNO; , PEKEMBAR) is a Conservatism, conservative, Nationalism, Malay nationalist political party in Malaysia. As the oldest national political party in the country (since its ince ...

* : VMRO-DPMNE * : Serbian Renewal Movement *: Syrian Social Nationalist Party *: ZANU–PF Several political parties have historically been described as having ultranationalist factions. * : Yisrael Beiteinu *:

Democratic Progressive Party The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is a centre to centre-left Taiwanese nationalist political party in Taiwan. As the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition, one of the two main political camps in Taiwan, the DPP is currently the ...

*: Good Party

Formerly represented in national governments or legislatures

*: Vlaams Blok *: Attack, VMRO, National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria, Velichie * : Communist Party of Kampuchea * :

Ustaše The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised versions Ustasha or Ustashe, was a Croats, Croatian fascist and ultranationalist organization active, as one organization, between 1929 and 1945, formally known as the Ustaša – Croatian Revolutionar ...

Croatian Party of Rights The Croatian Party of Rights (, HSP) is an Extra-parliamentary opposition, extra-parliamentary Croatian nationalism, nationalist and Neo-fascism, neo-fascist List of political parties in Croatia, political party in Croatia. The word "right(s)" i ...

, Croatian Pure Party of Rights * : Rally for the Republic – Republican Party of Czechoslovakia, National Fascist Community * : Patriotic People's Movement * : National Socialist German Workers' Party, German National People's Party, German Right Party * : Freethinkers' Party, Golden Dawn, Popular Orthodox Rally * : Arrow Cross Party, Unity Party, Hungarian Justice and Life Party * : Hindu Mahasabha * : Pan-Iranist Party * : Kach, Religious Zionist Party, Tehiya, Moledet, Hatikva, Jewish National Front, Herut – The National Movement *: National Fascist Party, Italian Social Movement *: Imperial Rule Assistance Association * : Camp of National Unity, United Poland * : National Union * : Kilusang Bagong Lipunan * :

, National Christian Party, National-Christian Defense League, Romanian National Unity Party, Greater Romania Party * : Coalition for the Defence of the Republic * : Serbian Radical Party, Party of Serbian Unity, Dveri, Serbian Party Oathkeepers * :

Slovak People's Party Andrej Hlinka, Hlinka's Slovak People's Party (), also known as the Slovak People's Party (, SĽS) or the Hlinka Party, was a far-right Clerical fascism, clerico-fascist political party with a strong Catholic fundamentalism, Catholic fundamental ...

, People's Party Our Slovakia,

Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

* : National Party *: National Youth * : FET y de las JONS *:

Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region ( ''Ḥizb al-Ba'th al-'Arabī al-Ishtirākī – Quṭr Sūriyā''), officially the Syrian Regional Branch (), was a Neo-Ba'athism, neo-Ba'athist organisation founded on 7 April 1947 by Michel ...

* : New Party, Taiwan Solidarity Union *: Republican Villagers Nation Party, Victory Party, Great Union Party *: Right Sector

Ultranationalist organizations

*: National Socialist Network *: Social Patriot Movement *

: Blue Shirts Society *: United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia *: Suomen Sisu *: Action Française, Bloc Identitaire *:

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS,, ) is an Indian right-wing politics, right-wing, Hindutva, Hindu nationalist volunteer paramilitary organisation. It is the progenitor and leader of a large body of organisations called the Sangh Parivar ( ...

, Bajrang Dal *: Pancasila Youth *: Golden Square *: Im Tirtzu, Lehava, Lehi *:

Army Comrades Association The Army Comrades Association (ACA), later the National Guard, Young Ireland and finally League of Youth, known by the nickname the Blueshirts (), was a paramilitary organisation in the Irish Free State, founded in 1932.New Irish Army Arises, Ne ...

*: CasaPound *: Nippon Kaigi, Zaitokukai *: Perkasa *: Nationalist Front of Mexico, National Synarchist Union, Revolutionary Mexicanist Action *: Patriotic Association of Myanmar *: New Zealand National Front *: Palestinian Islamic Jihad *: All-Polish Youth *: Club of Angry Patriots, Night Wolves, Russian Imperial Movement, Wagner Group *: White Shirts Society *: Bodu Bala Sena, Sinhala Ravaya *: Grey Wolves, Turkish Revenge Brigade *: Azov Brigade *: English Defence League, Siol nan Gaidheal *: Proud Boys, Patriot Front, Nationalist Social Club-131, Aryan Brotherhood

Ultranationalist terrorism

LTTE bike platoon north of Killinochini may 2004

Arising out of strident Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism, with differing ethnic and religious groups placed at odds, the militant faction known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) orchestrated a decades long campaign of terrorism in the country of Sri Lanka, which is inside of the Indian Ocean and has been influenced by broader socio-political trends. Both ultranationalism and revolutionary ideologies aligned against

capitalist Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their use for the purpose of obtaining profit. This socioeconomic system has developed historically through several stages and is defined by ...

policies influencing Sri Lankan life motivated the organization as it undertook a series of violent actions against both the national government and the supporters of the state. These attacks have collectively caused a large number of civilian deaths. For example, the Anuradhapura massacre committed by the LTTE on 14 May 1985 resulted in the killing of over one-hundred individuals inside of a holy city associated with local

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

worshippers. The militants deliberately targeted civilians socializing outdoors, such as by executing an elderly florist serving religious travelers. In the context of the LTTE's militant campaign, the ''Journal of Hate Studies'' found in a 2006 analysis that "ultranationalism subordinates all other claims for loyalty and allegiance" given that " yalty to the nation transcends loyalty to the family". Thus, "this notion explains the commitment of Tamil Tiger nationalists to venengage in suicide missions", since the academic journal stated that " tranationalist loyalty demands the willingness to sacrifice the self". In conclusion, the publication reported that an "extremist nationalist claim not only is understood as supreme, but talso is presented as urgent" and then demands political activists "must engage in preventive measures, such as

ethnic cleansing Ethnic cleansing is the systematic forced removal of ethnic, racial, or religious groups from a given area, with the intent of making the society ethnically homogeneous. Along with direct removal such as deportation or population transfer, it ...

or deportation". Golden Dawn members at rally in Athens 2015

The assassination of Pavlos Fyssas in September 2013, a

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

musician with left-wing views, from stabbing wounds to the heart and ribs that occurred after his surrounding by multiple dozen Golden Dawn militants triggered widespread outrage at the Greek political organization. The ultranationalist attack occurred in an

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

suburb and resulted in a police crackdown with several arrests. The then Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection Nikos Dendias remarked that the "abominable murder" done "by an attacker sympathizing with Golden Dawn" publicly "illustrates, in the clearest way, the intentions of neo-Nazism". At the same, Golden Dawn held 18 of the 300 seats in the

Hellenic Parliament The Parliament of the Hellenes (), commonly known as the Hellenic Parliament (), is the Unicameralism, unicameral legislature of Greece, located in the Old Royal Palace, overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens. The parliament is the supreme demo ...

. Characterized as an extremist political party directly adapting the beliefs of

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

, support for its ultranationalism increased in the context of the debate over spiking immigration to Greece. The Greek legal system ultimately investigated the assassination and other acts of violence with the outcome of an October 2020 verdict by the Athens Court of Appeals wiping out the party's leadership through prison sentences. Looking back, ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' reported in 2021, "Golden Dawn hit squads sowed terror on the streets, targeting immigrants, left wing trade unionists and other perceived opponents before a party operative ultimately confessed to the killing of Fyssas."

Portrayals of ultranationalism in fiction

The action film '' Air Force One'' features a

terrorist Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...

mastermind named Egor Korshunov, played by actor Gary Oldman, who kidnaps a set of hostages including the United States president by hijacking the leader's plane. Korshunov seeks revenge due to the arrest of Kazakh dictator Ivan Radek, played by actor Jürgen Prochnow, and the militant became an ultranationalist radical after having formerly served as a Soviet soldier. In February 2022, the United States Armed Forces related website Military.com published a story labeling the character as one of the best "Russian Movie Villains" in American cinematic history. Writer Todd McCarthy of '' Variety'' also lauded the nature of Oldman's "fanatical" character, with McCarthy stating that "in his second malevolent lead of the summer, after '' The Fifth Element'', eregisters strongly as a veteran of the Afghan campaign pushed to desperate lengths to newly ennoble his country." The Israeli movie '' Incitement'' portrayals a fictionalized account of ultranationalist activist and murderer Yigal Amir. The production details his personal life prior to his assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Film critic Nell Minow stated that the killer, played by actor Yehuda Nahari, projects a superficial charm and skill at

persuasion Persuasion or persuasion arts is an umbrella term for influence. Persuasion can influence a person's beliefs, attitudes, intentions, motivations, or behaviours. Persuasion is studied in many disciplines. Rhetoric studies modes of persuasi ...

while at the same time failing to generate audience sympathy due to his true nature still coming out. Amir seeing himself in a callous, "instrumentalist" way as a living weapon up to and including Rabin's assassination feeds into, in Minow's opinion, the movie's "chillingly" thriller-type quality. Writer Carla Hay of CultureMixOnline.com also found Nahari's performance to be a compelling portrayal of a sociopath in film, with much left to audience interpretations. The 2007 video game '' Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare'' gained notice for its depiction of a

civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

inside Russia between the country's government and an ultranationalist faction. Its sequels, '' Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2'' (2009) and '' Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3'' (2011), are set in the aftermath of an ultranationalist

coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...

in Russia and a subsequent war involving the American military. Militant leader Vladimir Makarov, a character in multiple games, notably declares at one point, "Russia will take all of Europe, even if it must stand upon a pile of ashes."

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* {{Authority control Authoritarianism Fascism Nationalism Neo-fascism Political extremism Political science terminology Sectarianism Supremacism Totalitarianism Xenophobia