HI290 History of Germany The Making of the modern German state and society Germanys transformation from maverick to model state Diversity No direct historical lines Module Themes Distinctive German way to modernity which contrasts with the standard West European British French way ID: 1003136
Download Presentation The PPT/PDF document "Nation and Nationalism: The making of Mo..." is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
1. Nation and Nationalism:The making of Modern GermanyHI290- History of Germany
2. The Making of the modern German state and society.Germany’s transformation from maverick to model state.DiversityNo direct historical lines.Module Themes
3. Distinctive German way to modernity which contrasts with the standard (West European, British, French) way:Industrialization: belated industrial revolution, several decades after that of EnglandFailed bourgeois revolution in Germany (defeat of the democratic revolution of 1848)German unification not a result of the success of a liberal and democratic movement but created by the militarist Prussian state (born in war)Weimar republic not accepted by large part of the population, seen as a result of the defeat and forced onto Germany by the victorious EntenteContinuous dominance of antidemocratic, reactionary elites (ostelbian agrarians, estate owners and “big business”)Traditions of Prussian militarismCulminating in: Third Reich, seen as logical result of the German “special path”Germany’s ‘special path’(Deutscher sonderweg)
4. Not a valid or normal model:suggested that there’s something wrong with German society as a whole; very inflexible: does not allow for historical coincidence, individual failure, or other factors.Wilhelmine Germany more modern than often assumed.Built on a very conventional and old-fashioned viewpoint of political history.Nevertheless: still important and relevant questions concerning the long-term factors and continuities in modern German history.Criticism of the Sonderweg Theory
5. The Holy Roman Empire, c.800-1806The Confederation of the Rhine, 1806-1815The German Confederation, 1815-1871Second Empire: Imperial Germany, 1871-1918: with Bismarck (1871-1890) and Wilhelmine Germany (1890-1918)The Weimar Republic, 1918-1933The Third Reich (Nazi Germany), 1933-1945Allied Occupation of Germany, 1945-49The Federal Republic of Germany (West), 1949-The German Democratic Republic (East), 1949-1990Reunited Germany, since 1990, and since 1998, “The Berlin Republic”The Germanies in history:
6.
7. The Rise of Prussia
8. ‘The Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars witnessed the first upsurge of Nationalism in European history, partly under the inspiration of the French armies and message of liberation, partly in reaction against those armies and the realities of occupation and oppression.’ Robert Gildea, Barricades and Borders: Europe 1800-1914 (Oxford: OUP, 1996)
9. Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1762-1814)Dismissed as professor of philosophy at the University of Jena in 1799 for his support of the French Revolution.Addresses to the German Nation (1807-08): Argued that France now represented despotism and that it was therefore up to ‘the German nation’ to be the champion of liberty. The Volk (people) should thus rise up and drive out the invader.
10. Wars of LiberationGeorg Friedrich Kersting, On Sentry Duty (1815) – showing three Freikorps volunteers of the Wars of Liberation.
11. Source: Martin Kitchen, The Cambridge Illustrated History of Germany (1996)
12. The Beginnings of German NationalismJohann Gottfried von Herder (1744-1803): The Volk (‘nation’ or ‘race’) is the decisive determinant of human identity. The nation is therefore identified not with the state (which is an artificial body), but with the ‘organic body’ of the Volk.Johann Goethe (1749-1832): No need for a nation-state – Germany was a ‘cultural community’ like Ancient Greece.Geog Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831): An individual only achieved their full potential through service to the state.German nationalism based on the idea of a racial/cultural community with shared language, history, traditions, myths etc.
13. Both The Kingdom of Prussia and the Austrian Empire incorporated territory outside the German Confederation and non-German citizens.Grossdeutschland (Greater Germany) – would incorporate the German-speaking parts of the Austrian Empire and would maintain Catholic Austria’s leadership of Germany.Kleindeutschland (Little Germany) – would exclude Austria but include the whole of Prussia (including her ‘Polish’ territories), leaving Protestant Prussia as the dominant German state.Which Germany?
14. The ZollvereinEarly 19th century cartoon supporting the elimination of customs barriers between states
15. The 1848 Revolutions24 Feb. 1848: Revolution in France – King Louis Philippe overthrown and a Republic established.13 March: Demonstrations in Vienna lead to the fall of Metternich24 October: The Austrian Emperor Ferdinand (1835-48) abdicates in favour of his nephew Franz Josef (1848-1916).13 March: Prussian troops fire on demonstrators in the palace square in Berlin, leading to 2 days of rioting16 March: News of Metternich’s fall reaches Berlin. King Friedrich Wilhelm IV (1840-61) agrees in principle to a new constitution, parliament and an end to censorship.18 March: More fighting in Berlin – at least 300 rioters killed by the Army.21 March: Friedrich Wilhelm grants a series of reforms including the appointment of a liberal ministry.August-November: The Prussian King reasserts his control. Martial Law is introduced in November and the liberal constitution and parliament overturnedRevolutionaries man the Barricades, Berlin 1848
16. The Frankfurt Parliament5 March 1848: The Heidelberg Declaration: calls for a single German state governed by a united German parliament.31 March: 574 representatives from the German states met in Frankfurt to agree on what form the new German parliament would take (the Vorparlament).After elections in April the parliament met in Frankfurt in May 1848. It was largely made up of liberal middle-class professionals (teachers, lawyers etc.) and was moderate in character. The Assembly soon became bogged down in debate over what form a united Germany should take and how it should be governed.June: A provisional government led by the Habsburg Archduke John was elected, but it had no real power and an ill-defined role.March 1849: A Constitution for a united German Empire agreed and the Imperial crown was offered to the King of Prussia, who refused it. The rulers of Bavaria, Saxony and Hanover also rejected the Constitution.May 1849: The parliament expelled from Frankfurt and moved to Stuttgart.June 1849: The parliament forcibly broken up by the King of Württemberg’ s troops. Meeting of the National Assembly in Frankfurt’s Paulskirche dominated by Philipp Veit’s painting of Germania, July 1848
17. The Development of PrussiaEconomic boom in the 1850s: industrial production, foreign trade & railway building all doubled between 1851 and 1858.1850-58: Minister-President Otto von Manteuffel pursued a policy of trying to bolster support for the monarchy through limited social (but not political) reform.1858: Friedrich Wilhelm IV declared insane and his brother Wilhelm becomes regent. 1858: The ‘New Era’ – Wilhelm I appoints a mixed ministry of liberals and conservatives and the Liberals gain 55% of the seats in the Prussian Diet.King Wilhelm I (1797-1888)Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1970-077-18 / Wilhelm Kuntzemüller (1845-1918) / CC-BY-SA
18. Enter Bismarck…1860: Constitutional crisis in Prussia when parliament refuses to finance army reforms.1862: Otto von Bismarck appointed minister-president.“As soon as the army shall have been brought into such a condition as to inspire respect, I shall seize the first best pretext to declare war against Austria, dissolve the German Diet, subdue the minor states and give national unity to Germany under Prussian leadership.”
19. 1849-50: Austrian attempts to join the Zollverein come to nothing, leaving Austria as the political leader of the German Confederation, but economically isolated.1850: The ‘Capitulation at Olmütz’ – Prussia forced to abandon her plan to replace the German Confederation with a union led jointly by Prussia and Austria.1862: Bismarck demanded that Austria recognize Prussia as its equal within Germany.1864: German-Danish War – Austria & Prussia co-operate to prevent Denmark from annexing the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. By the terms of the Convention of Gastein: Schleswig was ceded to Prussia and Holstein to Austria.1866: Seven Weeks (Austro-Prussian) War – Austria brings an action against Prussia in the Federal Diet & Prussia walks out declaring the end of the German Confederation. Prussia decisively defeats Austria a Sadowa (Königgrätz) on 3 July.Austro-Prussian Rivalry and Wars of Unification
20. Germany UnitedThe Franco-Prussian War (1870-71)War with France created an huge upsurge in German national feeling – popular pressure in the South German states to transform the wartime alliance into a permanent union.18 January 1871: Proclamation of the German Empire in the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles.The Proclamation of the German Empire by Anton von Werner (1888)