The Surprising Emergence of Nationalism in Europe and Beyond: Democracy Under Siege

The rise of “nationalist populism” in Europe—and in several large developing nations such as Brazil and India—is an ominous sign that the rise of democratic regimes since the end of World War II is now under serious threat. Authoritarian leaders offer vague promises about how strong measures are needed against immigrants and others who allegedly threaten national identity. Our speaker will explore the reasons for the rise of such nationalist movements, and help us understand how they might be countered.

Professor Jack Lewis Snyder is the Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Relations in the Department of Political Science at Columbia University. He has written several books pertinent to this topic: (1) Electing to Fight: Why Emerging Democracies Go to War (with Edward D. Mansfield); (2) From Voting to Violence: Democratization and Nationalist Conflict; (3) Myths of Empire: Domestic Politics and International Ambition; and (4) The Ideology of the Offensive: Military Decision Making and the Disasters of 1914. His recent article in a special issue of Foreign Affairs on “The New Nationalism” is entitled “The Broken Bargain: How Nationalism Came Back.”