In general, 'expansionism' consists of expansionist policies. While some have linked the term to promoting
economic growth (in contrast to no growth /
sustainable policies), more commonly expansionism refers to the doctrine of a nation's expanding its territorial base (or economic influence) usually by means of military
aggression. Compare
empire-building and
Lebensraum.
Irredentism,
revanchism or
reunification are sometimes used to justify and legitimize expansionism, but only when the explicit goal is to reconquer territories that have been lost, or even to take over ancestral lands. A simple
territorial dispute, such as a
border dispute, is not usually referred to as expansionism.
Modern expansionism
★
Akhand Bharat (seeks to create an enlarged
India in the
Indian Subcontinent and undo the partition of
British India. Includes other historical and culturally affiliated entities such as
Afghanistan,
Tibet,
Sri Lanka ,
Maldives,
Nepal ,
Bhutan)
★
American Empire
★
Aztlan (seeks to include south-west
U.S. in an enlarged
Mexico)
★
Greater Albania (seeks to unite all ethnic
Albanians in an enlarged state)
★
Greater China (seeks to reunite Taiwan with mainland China, take over islands in the South China Sea, and, at least among some elements in the
People's Republic of China, capture territory currently held by
Russia)
★
Croatia to create an enlarged ethnically 'pure'
Greater Croatia
★
Greater Hungary (seeks unite all ethnic
Hungarians in an enlarged state)
★
Greater Israel (seeks to create an Israeli state including all of mandatory Palestine)
★
Greater Bulgaria (seeks to create a Bulgarian state including all of Macedonia, Thrace and Dobrudja)
★
Greater Mongolia (seeks unite all ethnic
Mongolians in an enlarged state)
★
Greater Morocco (seeks to expand Moroccan territory to encompass areas ruled by the
Almoravid Empire in the past)
★
Greater Serbia (seeks to unite all
Serbs in an enlarged state)
★
Greater Somalia (seeks to unite all
Somalis in an enlarged state)
★
Greater Syria (seeks to create an enlarged
Syria encompassing the whole of the north-west Middle East)
★
Kahanism (seeks to create a state including all of Biblical Israel)
★
United Macedonia (seeks to create an enlarged
Republic of Macedonia covering all of
traditional Macedonia
★
Pan-Turkism (seeks to unite all Turkic peoples in one modern state)
★ Greater Iraq by invading Kuwait
★ Greater Iran by taking over shia part of Iraq
Past expansionism
★
Afghanistan sought to create an enlarged
Greater Afghanistan, specifically to absorb land inhabited by
Pashtuns in the
North West Frontier Province in modern
Pakistan
★
Greece sought to expand its territory in order to have all Greeks united (
Megali Idea) in one country.
★
Italy (during the rule of
Benito Mussolini) sought to enlarge its territory in Europe.
★
Japan sought to expand to a vast territory of China, Sothern Asia, and Asian Pacific during WWII.
★
Nazi Germany sought to unite all ethnic Germans and take land in the east (see
Lebensraum)
★
USA (see
Manifest Destiny) sought to expand into all of Canada during the
War of 1812 and later with the
Annexation Bill of 1866. Also sought to expand into Mexico, taking what is roughly today's
California,
Nevada,
Utah,
Arizona,
Texas, and
New Mexico.
★
Europeans sought to expand to around the world with
colonialism (see
Imperialism)
★ The
Ottoman Empire expanded its territory from
Asia in today's
Turkey into
Africa and
Europe from 1453 to 1683.
See also
★
List of Irredentist states
External links
★
"Expansionism / Imperialism" from Project Worldview