German nationalism is the idea that asserts that
Germans are a
nation and promotes the cultural unity of Germans. The earliest origins of German nationalism began with the birth of
Romantic nationalism during the
Napoleonic Wars when
Pan-Germanism started to rise. Advocacy of a German nation began to become an important political force in response to the invasion of German territories by
France under
Napoleon. After the rise and fall of
Nazi Germany which opposed the
Jews and others during
World War II, German nationalism has been generally viewed in the country as taboo. However, during the
Cold War, German nationalism arose that supported the
reunification of
East and
West Germany that was achieved in 1990.