I have often noticed that nationalism is at its strongest at the periphery. Hitler was Austrian, Bonaparte Corsican. In postwar Greece and Turkey the two most prominent ultra-right nationalists had both been born in Cyprus. The most extreme Irish Republicans are in Belfast and Derry (and Boston and New York). Sun Yat Sen, father of Chinese nationalism, was from Hong Kong. The Serbian extremists Miloševi? and Karadži? were from Montenegro and their most incendiary Croat counterparts in the tended to hail from the frontier lands of Western Herzegovina.

Summary

This quote highlights the observation that nationalism tends to be most fervent and intense on the outskirts or periphery of a nation or region. The author emphasizes historical examples to support this idea, such as Hitler and Bonaparte being from regions outside their respective countries, Greek and Turkish nationalists originating from Cyprus, and Irish Republicans from Belfast and Derry. It suggests that those who come from borderlands or peripheral areas often feel the strongest sense of national identity and may be more prone to extreme nationalist sentiments and actions.

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