Identify and explain one factor other than nationalism that led to the rise

of identity in the Asian nations discussed. Richard Goff (2010) wrote, They also
exposed Asians to Western science, technology, political philosophy, and cultural
norms, much of which could also be turned against the conquerors (p. 71). Asian
countries used the tools and knowledge provided by Western nations to build their
economic and military might that would eventually aid them in their revolts and
conquest for independence.

Does a country need nationalism in order to be powerful? As we look at

imperialism we should remember that as Western nations stretched out across the
globe they did so to feed their massive industrial complexes from the natural
resources farmed/mined from their colonies. These colonies maintained the parental
identity of their Imperialist nation until independence. Until then, the host countrys
raw materials fueled Western Empires and defined their role in the forging global
society. Richard Goff (2010) writes, By 1900 they had organized many areas of the
world into large plantations, agricultural factories that poured out enormous
quantities of foodstuffs. As a result, citizens in western Europe and the United States
could sit at their dinner tables and enjoy Honduran bananas, Brazilian coffee, East
Indian spices, Cuban sugar, Hawaiian pineapple, Ceylonese tea, and many other
products from around the globe (p. 24). Each of these resources had a huge impact
on the world market and made each country a powerful asset in the global economy.
Natural resources and as I mentioned earlier the tools and knowledge acquired from
Western nations made these former colonies a powerful adversary and at times allies.

What nationalist factors are most important to a county? This is a

particularly hard question to ask, because each nation has a unique blend of cultures
and peoples that have their own understanding of what they believe is important. You
can look at the United States over the past few Presidential elections as social issues
change. Since the recession in the mid 2000s economics has been the dominating
factor in almost all political battles. Another note that Goff (2010) made is, "Indian
Buddhism was accepted enthusiastically by the Chinese in the early centuries of the
Christian era" (p. 73). As in the Middle East, religion and cultural identities were
dominating factors in that united Asian nations. This is evident in the Opium wars
between China and Britain in 18391842 and again in 18581860 as the Chinese
attempted to ban the use of opium in their culture, but the British had too much wealth
tied into the trade of the drug (Goff, 2010, p. 73). Another key factor that links a
nation is the strong desire for national security and self preservation from outside
influences as we read about Japans military reforms during the Meiji Restoration.

The expansion of western nations took place due the necessity of availing resources
for their expanding industrial complexes and rising population. This is one of the
reasons why western nations tried to colonize countries so that they could have
control of supply or resources to feed their own people and industries. The knowledge
transferred to colonies by western nations, in turn made them powerful in terms of
technology and well being of their society.

There are no common factors that define nationalism as each country has different
culture of its own. Sometimes it is the religion, or common language or common
habits that bond people of one country to another. The desire to have national security
and self preservation is one of the most common factors for nationalism.