Nationalism is our form of incest, is our idolatry, is our insanity. "Patriotism" is its cult.

Nationalism has two fatal charms for its devotees: it presupposes local self-sufficiency, which is a pleasant and desirable condition, and it suggests, very subtly, a certain personal superiority by reason of one's belonging to a place which is definable and familiar, as against a place which is strange, remote.

Patriotism is a lively sense of responsibility. Nationalism is a silly cock crowing on its own dunghill.

Altogether, national hatred is something peculiar. You will always find it strongest and most violent where there is the lowest degree of culture.

The efficiency of the truly national leader consists primarily in preventing the division of the attention of a people, and always in concentrating it on a single enemy.

The closer one gets to either the eastern or the southern fringe of the German-speaking world-the closer one gets, in other words, to the threatening and more numerous Slavs-the more insecure and dangerous nationalism becomes.

All nations have present, or past, or future reasons for thinking themselves incomparable.

To wish the greatness of our own country is often to wish evil to our neighbors. He who could bring himself to wish that his country should always remain as it is, would be a citizen of the universe.

Nationalism is blamed for this century's wars, but nationalism need not mean militarism. And the nation-state has been the laboratory of liberty.