Germany’s ‘special
path’
History of Germany
Lecture 1
Tuesday, 9.30 am
Jessica Howlett
Claudia Kreklau
Rachel Dawson
Amanda Taylor
Andrew Hales
Jo Swarbrick
Anthony Hartley
Ben Norland
Friday, 9.30 am
Jen Boscoe
Beth Clinton
Nigel Ellams
Sebastian Evans
Karly Melaragno
Vanessa O’Donnell
Elizabeth Railton
Tuesday, 2.30 pm
Jack Langmore
Rebecca Neale
Charlotte Allchorn
Julie Richards
Ben Hankinson
Dean Simons
Matthew Barry
Rob Catton
Friday, 1.00 pm
Tom Makin
Emily Jones
Joseph Emly
Martin Moore
Ben Holness
Peter Timothy
Jack Emmingham
Chris Small
Schedule
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
German Federal Traditions
The National Anthem or ‘where is Germany?’
Unification from Above
Nation and Nationalism
Germany’s Special Path
Schedule
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
German Federal Traditions
The National Anthem or ‘where is Germany?’
Unification from Above
Nation and Nationalism
Germany’s Special Path
1.Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
über alles in der Welt,
wenn es stets zu Schutz und Trutze
brüderlich zusammenhält!
Von der Maas bis an die Memel,
von der Etsch bis an den Belt:
|: Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
über alles in der Welt! :|
1. Germany, Germany above all,
above anything in the world,
when always, for protection,
we stand together as brothers.
From the Meuse to the Neman,
from the Adige to the Belt,
|: Germany, Germany above all,
above anything in the world. :|
2. Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang
sollen in der Welt behalten
ihren alten schönen Klang,
uns zu edler Tat begeistern
unser ganzes Leben lang:
|: Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang! :|
3. Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
für das deutsche Vaterland!
Danach lasst uns alle streben
brüderlich mit Herz und Hand!
Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
sind des Glückes Unterpfand;
|: blüh' im Glanze dieses Glückes,
blühe, deutsches Vaterland. :|
August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben
1.Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
über alles in der Welt,
wenn es stets zu Schutz und Trutze
brüderlich zusammenhält!
Von der Maas bis an die Memel,
von der Etsch bis an den Belt:
|: Deutschland, Deutschland über alles,
über alles in der Welt! :|
1. Germany, Germany above all,
above anything in the world,
when always, for protection,
we stand together as brothers.
From the Meuse to the Neman,
from the Adige to the Belt,
|: Germany, Germany above all,
above anything in the world. :|
2. Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang
sollen in der Welt behalten
ihren alten schönen Klang,
uns zu edler Tat begeistern
unser ganzes Leben lang:
|: Deutsche Frauen, deutsche Treue,
deutscher Wein und deutscher Sang! :|
2. German women, German fidelity,
German wine and German song,
Shall retain, throughout the world,
Their old respected fame,
To inspire us to noble deeds
For the length of our lives.
German women, German fidelity,
German wine and German song.
3. Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
für das deutsche Vaterland!
Danach lasst uns alle streben
brüderlich mit Herz und Hand!
Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
sind des Glückes Unterpfand;
|: blüh' im Glanze dieses Glückes,
blühe, deutsches Vaterland. :|
3. Unity and right and freedom
For the German Fatherland;
Let us all strive to this goal
Brotherly, with heart and hand.
Unity and rights and freedom
Are the pledge of fortune grand.
Prosper in this fortune's glory,
Prosper German fatherland.
1. Heil dir im Siegerkranz,
Herrscher des Vaterlands!
Heil, Kaiser, dir!
Fühl in des Thrones Glanz
Die hohe Wonne ganz,
Liebling des Volks zu sein!
Heil Kaiser, dir!
1. Hail to thee in victor's crown,
Ruler of the fatherland!
Hail to thee, Kaiser!
Feel in the throne's glow
The high ecstasy in full
To be darling of thy people!
Hail to thee, Kaiser!
Schedule
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
German Federal Traditions
The National Anthem or ‘where is Germany?’
Unification from Above
Nation and Nationalism
Germany’s Special Path
Germania 1848
Germania, 1914 Friedrich August von
Kaulbach, 192 x 147 cm
German Dualism and the Founding of the German Empire
1859-1871
Austria
Prussia
Efforts to reform the
German
Confederation
Breakdown of the Frankfurt
Assembly of German
Princes 1863
Greater Germany
Prussia takes the lead in
Germany with the help of
the Zollverein (Customs
Union)
Lesser Germany
German-Danish war 1864
France neutral
Austria brings an action
against Prussia in front of the
Federal Diet. Prussia declares
the end of the German
Confederation.
Prussian-Austrian War 1866
Prussia founds the North
German Confederation
Austria excluded from
Germany
Declaration of war by
France, July 1870
Alliance with Italy
Napoleon III taken prisoner
in September 1870
Founding of the Empire in
Versailles in January 1871
Painting by A. v. Werner
Constitutional Conflict in Prussia
1858: “New Era”
under William I
Army Reform
King’s Army vs. Army of the
Parliament
Constitutional
conflict
Old Liberals with 55% of
the deputies in the
Prussian Diet
German Progressive Party
(Old Liberals 40%,
Progressivists 29.3% in
Diet)
1862: William I appoints
Bismarck to be Minister
President of Prussia
“Lückentheorie”: 18621866, governing without
legal budget
Liberals with 2/3 majority
in Diet
Victorious wars 1864 und
1866
Diet idemnifies
government 1866
Founding of the National
Liberal party
Schedule
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
German Federal Traditions
The National Anthem or ‘where is Germany?’
Unification from Above
Nation and Nationalism
Germany’s Special Path
“Nation as a natural, God-given way of
classifying men, as an inherent … political
destiny, are a myth; nationalism, which
sometimes takes preexisting cultures and
turns them into nations, sometimes invents
them, and often obliterates preexisting
cultures: that is a reality”.
(Ernest Gellner)
“Nations do not make states and nationalisms
but the other way round”.
(Eric Hobsbawm)
“A nation can therefore be defined as
• a named human population
• sharing an historic territory,
• common myths and historical memories,
• a mass public culture,
• a common economy
• and common legal rights and duties for all members.“
Anthony D. Smith: National Identity. Reno, Las Vegas, London 1991, p. 14.
http://nationalismproject.org
Schedule
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
German Federal Traditions
The National Anthem or ‘where is Germany?’
Unification from Above
Nation and Nationalism
Germany’s Special Path
Friedrich II (Frederick II the
Great ), King of Prussia, as
commander of his troops
Painting by Antoine Pesne, 1745
Otto von Bismarck
(1815-1898)
Wilhelm II
Field Marshal
of the Reich
Paul von
Hindenburg
Germany’s ‘special path’ (Deutscher Sonderweg)
Distinctive German way to modernity which contrasts with the standard
(West European, British, French) way
 Industrialization: belated industrial revolution, several decades after
that of England
 Failed 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
Entente
 Continuous dominance of antidemocratic, reactionary elites
(ostelbian agrarians, estate owners and “big business”)
 Traditions of Prussian militarism
 Culminating in: Third Reich, seen as logical result of the German
“special path”