Excessive, narrow patriotism; the belief that the promotion of one's own nation as a culturally distinct and independent entity is more important than any international considerations. Nationalism flourished during the nineteenth century, which saw the rise of the nation-state, and the break-up of the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires, which were composed of many nations. After the demise of communism in Eastern Europe, which held national identities in check, nationalism become one of the chief driving forces in world affairs during the 1990s and was at the root of the wars in the former Yugoslavia.