The extent to which the language planning that has been pursued in many localities and in many periods has been guided by nationalism, that is, by "...the social movements, attitudes, and ideologies which characterize the behavior of nationalities engaged in the struggle to achieve, maintain or enhance their position in the world" (Wirth 1936) is examined in this text. The study familiarizes the reader with the formations and the transformations of nationalism itself, and also examines how and why language commonly comes to be one of the ingredients in nationalist goals and programs. Two essays deal with the nature of nationalism and the impact of nationalism on language and language planning. A bibliography and index are included. (RL)