DOCSLIB.ORG

A History of Modern Germany 1800–2000 for Lars, Marie-Isabel, Paula, and Philip-David a History of Modern Germany 1800–2000

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A History of Modern Germany 1800–2000 for Lars, Marie-Isabel, Paula, and Philip-David a History of Modern Germany 1800–2000 A History of Modern Germany 1800–2000 For Lars, Marie-Isabel, Paula, and Philip-David A History of Modern Germany 1800–2000 Martin Kitchen © 2006 by Martin Kitchen BLACKWELL PUBLISHING 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK 550 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia The right of Martin Kitchen to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher. First published 2006 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd 1 2006 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kitchen, Martin. A history of modern Germany, 1800–2000 / Martin Kitchen. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-1-4051-0040-3 (alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-4051-0040-0 (alk. paper) ISBN-13: 978-1-4051-0041-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-4051-0041-9 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Germany—History—1789–1900. 2. Germany—History—20th century. I. Title. DD203.K58 2006 943.08—dc22 2005006165 A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library. Set in 10 on 13 pt Sabon by SNP Best-set Typesetter Ltd, Hong Kong Printed and bound in India by Replika Press The publisher’s policy is to use permanent paper from mills that operate a sustainable forestry policy, and which has been manufactured from pulp processed using acid-free and elementary chlorine-free practices. Furthermore, the publisher ensures that the text paper and cover board used have met acceptable environmental accreditation standards. For further information on Blackwell Publishing, visit our website: www.blackwellpublishing.com Contents List of Plates ix Acknowledgments xi Maps xii Introduction 1 1 Germany Under Napoleon 9 The Age of Reform 14 The War of Liberation 24 2 German Society in Transition: 1800–70 29 Town and Country 36 The Industrial Revolution 39 The Emergence of a Class Society 43 The Jewish Community 47 3 Restoration and Reform: 1815–40 50 Student Radicalism 52 Germany Under Metternich 55 Nationalism 57 Constitutional Developments 59 The Zollverein 60 The Congress System 62 The Revolutionary Movements 63 4 The Revolutions of 1848 71 The Frankfurt Parliament 77 The Constitutional Question 86 5 The Struggle for Mastery: 1850–66 90 The Crimean War 92 The Italian Question 93 The “New Era” in Prussia 95 v vi CONTENTS The Origins of Social Democracy 98 The Constitutional Crisis in Prussia 102 The Schleswig-Holstein Question 108 6 The Unification of Germany: 1866–71 113 The Franco-Prussian War 117 The Unification of Germany 120 The Role of the Military 124 Nationalism 128 Jews in the New Germany 131 7 Bismarck’s Germany 139 The Kulturkampf 140 Social Democracy and the New Germany 144 From Free Trade to Protectionism 145 The Anti-Socialist Laws 147 Liberals in Bismarck’s Germany 148 Class Structure 151 Women’s Place in the New Germany 156 Sex and Society 160 8 Germany and Europe: 1871–90 163 From the Congress of Berlin to the Dual Alliance 166 Bismarck and Imperialism 168 Bismarck’s System of Alliances 170 9Wilhelmine Germany: 1890–1914 173 Caprivi and the “New Course” 180 Hohenlohe 185 “World Politics” and Navalism 186 Bülow 191 Bethmann Hollweg 196 10 The First World War 203 War Aims and Opposition 206 From Bethmann Hollweg to Michaelis 208 From Michaelis to Hertling 210 The Impact of the Bolshevik Revolution 210 The Revolution from Above 212 The Revolution of 1918 214 11 The Weimar Republic: 1919–33 220 The Kapp Putsch 224 Reparations and Inflation 226 The Occupation of the Ruhr 230 Stresemann and Fulfillment 233 Weimar Culture 236 CONTENTS vii Locarno 238 The Depression 240 Brüning 246 Von Papen 250 Schleicher 253 12 The Nazi Dictatorship 258 Gleichschaltung 264 Ernst Röhm and the SA 267 Hitler in Full Command 270 The Dual State 274 The SS 276 Anti-Semitism, Racism, and Euthanasia 279 13 Nazi Germany: 1933–45 284 Women in Nazi Germany 288 First Steps in Foreign Policy 290 The Anschluss 294 Czechoslovakia and Appeasement 295 The Polish Crisis 297 War 298 The War in the West 300 Barbarossa 301 The Beginnings of the Shoah 304 The Turn of the Tide 307 The Third Reich and Modernization 313 14 The Adenauer Era: 1945–63 316 Germany Divided 323 The German Democratic Republic 328 The German Question 330 East Germany in the Khrushchev Era 335 Willy Brandt 337 The Spiegel Affair 340 The End of the Adenauer Era 341 Culture in the Federal Republic 343 15 Two Germanys: 1963–82 346 The Federal Republic after Adenauer 347 Willy Brandt as Chancellor 354 East Germany Under Honecker 361 Helmuth Schmidt 362 The Candidature of Helmut Kohl 364 The Extra-Parliamentary Opposition 365 Helmuth Schmidt’s Chancellorship: The Final Phase 367 viii CONTENTS 16 The Reunification of Germany 373 The Winds of Change 375 Unification 381 Germany Unified 395 Bibliography 413 Index 424 Plates 1A Biedermeier interior 31 2 The Biedermeier family 31 3 The suffering of the Silesian weavers 43 4 Gymnasts attending the Wartburg Festival 1817 53 5 Student representatives burning reactionary books and symbols 54 6 Street fighting in Berlin on the Night of March 18/19, 1848 76 7A meeting of the National Assembly in the Paul’s Church in Frankfurt September 16, 1848 78 8 German industrial might: a rolling mill in Saarbrücken c. 1870 96 9 The founders of German Social Democracy 100 10 August Bebel 101 11 The Battle of Sedan 119 12 The Berlin Stock Exchange 134 13 Bismarck by Franz von Lembach, c. 1880 143 14 William II “The Kaiser” 174 15 Bismarck Dead and Surrounded by the Ghosts of the Past 176 16 The German delegation to the Versailles Peace Conference 222 17 Mass protest in Berlin against the Treaty of Versailles 222 18 Homeless men, December 1930 242 19 Homeless women, December 1930 242 20 Nazi Party rally 1934 271 ix x PLATES 21 Göring and Hitler 285 22 Hitler and Goebbels 302 23 Dresden after the raid 311 24 Red Army troops hoisting the Soviet flag on the Reichstag May 5, 1945 312 25 Ludwig Ehrhard 321 26 The Berlin Airlift 323 27 East German Communist poster 326 28 No experiments! 334 29 Adenauer and De Gaulle 339 30 Willy Brandt in Warsaw 356 31 The Berlin Wall November 10, 1989 385 32 Helmut Kohl 386 Acknowledgments I am most grateful to Andrew MacLennan, with whom I have worked so profitably and enjoyably on many projects, for suggesting that I should write this book. It has proved to be a taxing but rewarding experience. Tessa Harvey and Angela Cohen were long-suffering and confident guides through the detritus of the postmodern. My thanks are also due to Louise Spencely, whose expert editing has saved me from many an ambiguity and infelicity of style, and who set me right with Helmuth and Helmut: Schmidt and Kohl. I would also like to thank the following for their expertise and courteous help in tracking down the illustrations: Harald Odehnal (Konrad Adenauer Stiftung); Michel Schneider, Andre Castrup, and Gabriele Lutterbeck (Friedrich Ebert Stiftung); Norbert Ludwig (Bildarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz); Martina Caspers and Peter Vier (Bundesarchiv); Barbara Schäche (Landesarchiv Berlin); Katrin Peters-Klaphake (Deutsches Historisches Museum); and Christian Stutterheim (Bundes Presse Agentur). My two greatest debts are to my wife, my “Wortschatz,” who has taught me so much about Germany and the Germans, and to my students at Simon Fraser University, who have helped make the study of German history so infinitely rewarding. xi DENMARK SWEDEN SCHLESWIG B a l t i c S e a N o r t h S e a OLDENBURG HOLSTEIN MECKLENBURG- E. PRUSSIA SCHWERIN IA HANOVER N USSIA A ER . PR BRUNSWICK M W MECKLENBURG- PO S D STRELITZ N RUSSIAN LA BRANDENBURG R WESTPHALIA POSEN POLAND E TH NE HESSE- ANHALT CASSEL COLOGNE SAXONY THURINGIA NASSAU LUX. SILESIA HESSE- DARMSTADT BAV. PA LATINATE WÜRTTEMBERG EN D BAVARIA FRANCE A B AU STRIA HUNGARY SWITZERLAND German Confederation border Prussia PIEDMONT Habsburg Empire SARDINIA Map 1 Germany, 1815 DENMARK B a l t i c S e a N o r t h S e a Schleswig- Holstein Lübeck E. PRUSSIA Hamburg POMERANIA Bremen HANOVER BRANDENBURG SAXONY WESTPHALIA POSEN RH INELA N D SILESIA Prussia after the Congress of Vienna, 1815 Prussia after the Austro-Prussian War, 1866 Map 2 Prussia before and after the Austro-Prussian War SWEDEN DENMARK SCHLESWIG B a l t i c S e a N o r t h S e a E. PRUSSIA OLDENBURG MECKLENBERG- W. PRUSSIA SCHWERIN BRUNSWICK MECKLENBERG- STRELITZ NETHERLANDS ANHALT LIPPE POSEN RUSSIAN BELGIUM POLAND DARMSTADT SAXONY THURINGIA LUX. HESSE BAV. FRANCE PALATINATE ALSACE- LORRAINE BAVARIA WÜRTTEMBERG Prussia EN AD Austria-Hungary B AUSTRIA-HUNGARY Area incorporated in 1871 SWITZERLAND Map 3 Germany, 1871 DENMARK SWEDEN LITHUANIA SCHLESWIG B a l t i c S e a N o r t h S e a Kiel Danzig EAST PRUSSIA WEST PRUSSIA Berlin NETHERLANDS POSEN POLAND BELGIUM Cologne Weimar LUX. UPPER SILESIA Mainz Frontier of former German FRANCE territory Frontier of Germany in 1919 SAAR CZECHOSLOVAKIA Frontier of demilitarized zone ALSACE- Territory lost under Versailles LORRAINE treaty Munich Occupied territory Special regimes AUSTRIA SWITZERLAND HUNGARY Map 4 The Versailles Settlement, 1919 Berlin, 1945 (USSR) (Fr.) SWEDEN (Br.) EAST WEST DENMARK BERLIN BERLIN USSR (US) B a l t i c S e a N o r t h S e a (British) (Soviet) NETH.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The German North Sea Ports' Absorption Into Imperial Germany, 1866–1914
    From Unification to Integration: The German North Sea Ports' absorption into Imperial Germany, 1866–1914 Henning Kuhlmann Submitted for the award of Master of Philosophy in History Cardiff University 2016 Summary This thesis concentrates on the economic integration of three principal German North Sea ports – Emden, Bremen and Hamburg – into the Bismarckian nation- state. Prior to the outbreak of the First World War, Emden, Hamburg and Bremen handled a major share of the German Empire’s total overseas trade. However, at the time of the foundation of the Kaiserreich, the cities’ roles within the Empire and the new German nation-state were not yet fully defined. Initially, Hamburg and Bremen insisted upon their traditional role as independent city-states and remained outside the Empire’s customs union. Emden, meanwhile, had welcomed outright annexation by Prussia in 1866. After centuries of economic stagnation, the city had great difficulties competing with Hamburg and Bremen and was hoping for Prussian support. This thesis examines how it was possible to integrate these port cities on an economic and on an underlying level of civic mentalities and local identities. Existing studies have often overlooked the importance that Bismarck attributed to the cultural or indeed the ideological re-alignment of Hamburg and Bremen. Therefore, this study will look at the way the people of Hamburg and Bremen traditionally defined their (liberal) identity and the way this changed during the 1870s and 1880s. It will also investigate the role of the acquisition of colonies during the process of Hamburg and Bremen’s accession. In Hamburg in particular, the agreement to join the customs union had a significant impact on the merchants’ stance on colonialism.
    [Show full text]
  • When Fear Is Substituted for Reason: European and Western Government Policies Regarding National Security 1789-1919
    WHEN FEAR IS SUBSTITUTED FOR REASON: EUROPEAN AND WESTERN GOVERNMENT POLICIES REGARDING NATIONAL SECURITY 1789-1919 Norma Lisa Flores A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY December 2012 Committee: Dr. Beth Griech-Polelle, Advisor Dr. Mark Simon Graduate Faculty Representative Dr. Michael Brooks Dr. Geoff Howes Dr. Michael Jakobson © 2012 Norma Lisa Flores All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Dr. Beth Griech-Polelle, Advisor Although the twentieth century is perceived as the era of international wars and revolutions, the basis of these proceedings are actually rooted in the events of the nineteenth century. When anything that challenged the authority of the state – concepts based on enlightenment, immigration, or socialism – were deemed to be a threat to the status quo and immediately eliminated by way of legal restrictions. Once the façade of the Old World was completely severed following the Great War, nations in Europe and throughout the West started to revive various nineteenth century laws in an attempt to suppress the outbreak of radicalism that preceded the 1919 revolutions. What this dissertation offers is an extended understanding of how nineteenth century government policies toward radicalism fostered an environment of increased national security during Germany’s 1919 Spartacist Uprising and the 1919/1920 Palmer Raids in the United States. Using the French Revolution as a starting point, this study allows the reader the opportunity to put events like the 1848 revolutions, the rise of the First and Second Internationals, political fallouts, nineteenth century imperialism, nativism, Social Darwinism, and movements for self-government into a broader historical context.
    [Show full text]
  • The Purpose of the First World War War Aims and Military Strategies Schriften Des Historischen Kollegs
    The Purpose of the First World War War Aims and Military Strategies Schriften des Historischen Kollegs Herausgegeben von Andreas Wirsching Kolloquien 91 The Purpose of the First World War War Aims and Military Strategies Herausgegeben von Holger Afflerbach An electronic version of this book is freely available, thanks to the support of libra- ries working with Knowledge Unlatched. KU is a collaborative initiative designed to make high quality books Open Access. More information about the initiative can be found at www.knowledgeunlatched.org Schriften des Historischen Kollegs herausgegeben von Andreas Wirsching in Verbindung mit Georg Brun, Peter Funke, Karl-Heinz Hoffmann, Martin Jehne, Susanne Lepsius, Helmut Neuhaus, Frank Rexroth, Martin Schulze Wessel, Willibald Steinmetz und Gerrit Walther Das Historische Kolleg fördert im Bereich der historisch orientierten Wissenschaften Gelehrte, die sich durch herausragende Leistungen in Forschung und Lehre ausgewiesen haben. Es vergibt zu diesem Zweck jährlich bis zu drei Forschungsstipendien und zwei Förderstipendien sowie alle drei Jahre den „Preis des Historischen Kollegs“. Die Forschungsstipendien, deren Verleihung zugleich eine Auszeichnung für die bisherigen Leis- tungen darstellt, sollen den berufenen Wissenschaftlern während eines Kollegjahres die Möglich- keit bieten, frei von anderen Verpflichtungen eine größere Arbeit abzuschließen. Professor Dr. Hol- ger Afflerbach (Leeds/UK) war – zusammen mit Professor Dr. Paul Nolte (Berlin), Dr. Martina Steber (London/UK) und Juniorprofessor Simon Wendt (Frankfurt am Main) – Stipendiat des Historischen Kollegs im Kollegjahr 2012/2013. Den Obliegenheiten der Stipendiaten gemäß hat Holger Afflerbach aus seinem Arbeitsbereich ein Kolloquium zum Thema „Der Sinn des Krieges. Politische Ziele und militärische Instrumente der kriegführenden Parteien von 1914–1918“ vom 21.
    [Show full text]
  • Film Front Weimar: Representations of the First World War in German Films from the Weimar Period (1919-1933) Kester, Bernadette
    www.ssoar.info Film Front Weimar: Representations of the First World War in German Films from the Weimar Period (1919-1933) Kester, Bernadette Veröffentlichungsversion / Published Version Monographie / monograph Zur Verfügung gestellt in Kooperation mit / provided in cooperation with: OAPEN (Open Access Publishing in European Networks) Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: Kester, B. (2002). Film Front Weimar: Representations of the First World War in German Films from the Weimar Period (1919-1933). (Film Culture in Transition). Amsterdam: Amsterdam Univ. Press. https://nbn-resolving.org/ urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-317059 Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Dieser Text wird unter einer CC BY-NC-ND Lizenz This document is made available under a CC BY-NC-ND Licence (Namensnennung-Nicht-kommerziell-Keine Bearbeitung) zur (Attribution-Non Comercial-NoDerivatives). For more Information Verfügung gestellt. Nähere Auskünfte zu den CC-Lizenzen finden see: Sie hier: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/deed.de * pb ‘Film Front Weimar’ 30-10-2002 14:10 Pagina 1 The Weimar Republic is widely regarded as a pre- cursor to the Nazi era and as a period in which jazz, achitecture and expressionist films all contributed to FILM FRONT WEIMAR BERNADETTE KESTER a cultural flourishing. The so-called Golden Twenties FFILMILM FILM however was also a decade in which Germany had to deal with the aftermath of the First World War. Film CULTURE CULTURE Front Weimar shows how Germany tried to reconcile IN TRANSITION IN TRANSITION the horrendous experiences of the war through the war films made between 1919 and 1933.
    [Show full text]
  • Lesson: German Unifieation
    Garden City High School Mr. M. Stratis, Esq. Global History & Geography III Lesson: German Unifieation Aim: Why was German unification achieved by "blood and iron?" 1. What factors promoted the unification of the German states? A. Common Nationality. In the late 18th century some German people began to think: ofthemselves as a distinct nationality and agitated for a unified fatherland. This nationalist awakening reflected the efforts ofGerman educators, poets, writers, historians, and philosophers. B. Napoleon's Influence. Napoleon aided German unification, although unintentionally. He aroused German nationalism against him, weakened Austrian authority in Germany by abolishing the Holy Roman Empire, and reduced the more than 300 German states to less than 100. C. Congress of Vienna. The peace conference of 1815 helped German unity, although unwittingly. It reduced the number ofGerman states to 38 and organized them into an Austrian-dominated league ofrulers, the German Confederation. The Confederation proved weak and ineffective, incapable of providing Germany with a unified government. Its failure stirred the people to seek unity by other means. D. Zollverein. In 1819 Prussia formed a German customs union, which became known as the Zollverein. By the 1840sit included most German states, but not Austria. The Zollverein maintained free trade between member states, but high tariffs against nonmembers. The removal of internal tariff barriers benefited German merchants and manufacturers, and promoted the country's economic unity. II. What factors hindered German unification? A. Differences Among the German People. In Prussia and other north German states, the people were in the main Protestant, were interested in commerce, and were turning toward manufacturing.
    [Show full text]
  • Victories Are Not Enough: Limitations of the German Way of War
    VICTORIES ARE NOT ENOUGH: LIMITATIONS OF THE GERMAN WAY OF WAR Samuel J. Newland December 2005 Visit our website for other free publication downloads http://www.StrategicStudiesInstitute.army.mil/ To rate this publication click here. This publication is a work of the United States Government, as defined in Title 17, United States Code, section 101. As such, it is in the public domain and under the provisions of Title 17, United States Code, section 105, it may not be copyrighted. ***** The views expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government. This report is cleared for public release; distribution is unlimited. ***** My sincere thanks to the U.S. Army War College for approving and funding the research for this project. It has given me the opportunity to return to my favorite discipline, Modern German History, and at the same time, develop a monograph which has implications for today’s army and officer corps. In particular, I would like to thank the Dean of the U.S. Army War College, Dr. William Johnsen, for agreeing to this project; the Research Board of the Army War College for approving the funds for the TDY; and my old friend and colleague from the Militärgeschichliches Forschungsamt, Colonel (Dr.) Karl-Heinz Frieser, and some of his staff for their assistance. In addition, I must also thank a good former student of mine, Colonel Pat Cassidy, who during his student year spent a considerable amount of time finding original curricular material on German officer education and making it available to me.
    [Show full text]
  • Otto Von Bismarck
    Otto von Bismarck Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck Retrato de Otto von Bismarck 1871. Canciller de Alemania 21 de marzo de 1871-20 de marzo de 1890 Monarca Guillermo I (1871-1888) Federico III (1888) Guillermo II (1888-1890) Predecesor Primer Titular Sucesor Leo von Caprivi Primer ministro de Prusia 23 de septiembre de 1862-1 de enero de 1873 Predecesor Adolf zu Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen Sucesor Albrecht von Roon 9 de noviembre de 1873-20 de marzo de 1890 Predecesor Albrecht von Roon Sucesor Leo von Caprivi Datos personales Nacimiento 1 de abril de 1815 Schönhausen, Prusia Fallecimiento 30 de julio de 1898 (83 años) Friedrichsruh, Alemania Partido sin etiquetar Cónyuge Johanna von Puttkamer Hijos Herbert von Bismarck y Wilhelm von Bismarck Ocupación político, diplomático y jurista Alma máter Universidad de Gotinga Religión luteranismo Firma de Otto von Bismarck [editar datos en Wikidata] Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck-Schönhausen, Príncipe de Bismarck y Duque de Lauenburg (Schönhausen, 1 de abrilde 1815–Friedrichsruh, 30 de julio de 1898)1 conocido como Otto von Bismarck, fue un estadista, burócrata, militar, político yprosista alemán, considerado el fundador del Estado alemán moderno. Durante sus últimos años de vida se le apodó el «Canciller de Hierro» por su determinación y mano dura en la gestión de todo lo relacionado con su país,n. 1 que incluía la creación de un sistema de alianzas internacionales que aseguraran la supremacía de Alemania, conocido como el Reich.1 Cursó estudios de leyes y, a partir de 1835, trabajó en los tribunales
    [Show full text]
  • L7: the Vienna Congress, Hist 133A, UCSB, Prof. Marcuse
    UCSB Hist 133A, Fall 2015 Prof. Marcuse 19th Century Germany [email protected] Hist 133a Final Examination, Fall 2015 This exam has two parts: a word-limited take-home, due at the beginning of the examination time, 4pm on Tuesday Dec. 8, in Arts 1349, and a 30 min. in-class portion with 2 IDs from the list below. The essay portion is not time-limited, but is designed to be completed in 2 hours. It must be typed. You may use the course readings and your own course notes, and other reference materials you have access to (including Gauchospace and the internet), but not notes taken by others in the class, nor are you allowed to work with anyone else in the class. Again: You are to do this work by yourself, with no help from anyone else. Note that anyone sharing their notes with someone else is as guilty of plagiarism as the person using those notes. At the end of your typed exam you must include the honor pledge (text below), and sign your name below it. (Zero points if you forget.) Your essay is word-limited. It should be 1,000-1,500 words, with the word count inserted at the top with your name, the course information (Hist 133A final exam) and date. Note: in past years I have had A answers that were about 1,000 words, and C answers that were 1500. (To get a word count in Word 2007/2010: when the text is selected, the count appears at lower left in the status bar, e.g.
    [Show full text]
  • Paper 3 Weimar and Nazi Germany Revision Guide and Student Activity Book
    Paper 3 Weimar and Nazi Germany Revision Guide and Student Activity Book Section 1 – Weimar Republic 1919-1929 What was Germany like before and after the First World War? Before the war After the war The Germans were a proud people. The proud German army was defeated. Their Kaiser, a virtual dictator, was celebrated for his achievements. The Kaiser had abdicated (stood down). The army was probably the finest in the world German people were surviving on turnips and bread (mixed with sawdust). They had a strong economy with prospering businesses and a well-educated, well-fed A flu epidemic was sweeping the country, killing workforce. thousands of people already weakened by rations. Germany was a superpower, being ruled by a Germany declared a republic, a new government dictatorship. based around the idea of democracy. The first leader of this republic was Ebert. His job was to lead a temporary government to create a new CONSTITUTION (SET OF RULES ON HOW TO RUN A COUNTRY) Exam Practice - Give two things you can infer from Source A about how well Germany was being governed in November 1918. (4 marks) From the papers of Jan Smuts, a South African politician who visited Germany in 1918 “… mother-land of our civilisation (Germany) lies in ruins, exhausted by the most terrible struggle in history, with its peoples broke, starving, despairing, from sheer nervous exhaustion, mechanically struggling forward along the paths of anarchy (disorder with no strong authority) and war.” Inference 1: Details in the source that back this up: Inference 2: Details in the source that back this up: On the 11th November, Ebert and the new republic signed the armistice.
    [Show full text]
  • Abstammungslinien-Entwurf Zur Grafik 3
    Abstammungslinien-Entwurf zur Grafik 3: Stand: 5. Juni 2010 Zusammenstellung: Arndt Richter, München am 23.12.2016 ergänzt von Wolfgang Bernhardt, Hoyerswerda Diese Zusammenstellung soll linienmäßig noch erweitert werden. Ergänzungswünsche erbeten an: [email protected] Quellen: AL Anna von Mohl, (Arndt Richter, handschriftlich) AL Kinder Rösch, (Siegfried Rösch, handschriftlich) AL Max Planck (Arndt Richter, WORD-AL) AL v.Weizsäcker-v.Graevenitz, Berlin 1992 ( F. W. Euler) AL Wilhelm Hauff: AT berühmter Deutscher, Bd. 2. und Ergäzung Bd. 4. Zu Seite 46 f.: Deutsches Familienarchiv (DFA) Bd. 58, 1973 (Gmelin-Stammliste!): Zu Seite 56 f.: F. W. Euler: „Alfred v. Tirpitz und seine Ahnen“; in: AfS (1989), 55. Jg., H. 114, S. 81-100). Zu Seite 57 f: Gero v.Wilcke: Caroline Böhmer und ihre Tochter – Zur Genealogie von Schellings erster Frau; in: AfS (1975), H.57, S.39-50; und Friedrich v. Klocke: Familie und Volk (1955, S. 169). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Abstammungslinien A (zur Grafik 3) (AvM 10170/1) Aus der AL Anna von Mohl (Zusammenstellung Arndt Richter, München) entnommen: Die Ahnen-Nrn. beziehen sich hier daher auf die AL Anna von Mohl als Probanden. Quelle zur Dynastenabstammung: Deutsches Geschlechterbuch (DGB) Bd. 170 = Schwäbisches Geschlechterbuch, 9. Band, zur Famlie Dreher, Anhang B (AL Dreher/Volland), bearbeitet von D. Dr. Otto Beuttenmüller). 20342 v. Wirtemberg (Württemberg), Graf Eberhard V., „der Junge“, * 23.8.1388, + Waiblingen 2.7.1419, □ Stuttgart; o-o (uneheliche Verbindung) 20343 v. Dagersheim, Agnes, * (Stuttgart) um 1399, das „v.“ ist Herkunftsbezeichnung, die bereits bei Ihrem Vater üblich war; ihre Eltern waren Werner v. Dagersheim, Ratsherr zu Stuttgart 1402/31, und Katharina Machtolf (war seine 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Mitteilungen Für Die Presse
    Read the speech online: www.bundespraesident.de Page 1 of 6 Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the inauguration of the Robert-Blum-Saal with artworks depicting Germany’s history of democracy at Schloss Bellevue on 9 November 2020 According to legend, the last words of Robert Blum were “I die for freedom, may my country remember me.” He was executed – shot – by imperial military forces on 9 November 1848, one day before his 41st birthday. The German democrat and champion for freedom, one of the most well-known members of the Frankfurt National Assembly, thus died on a heap of sand in Brigittenau, a Viennese suburb. The bullets ended the life of a man who had fought tirelessly for a Germany unified in justice and in freedom – as a political publicist, publisher and founder of the Schillerverein in Leipzig, as a parliamentarian in the Paulskirche in Frankfurt, and finally with a gun in his hand on the barricades in Vienna. To the very last, Robert Blum fought for a German nation-state in the republican mould, legitimised by parliamentary structures. He campaigned for a brand of democracy in which civil liberties and human rights were accorded to one and all. And he fought for a Europe in which free peoples should live together in peace, from France to Poland and to Hungary. His death on 9 November 1848 marked one of the many turning points in our history. By executing the parliamentarian Robert Blum, the princes and military commanders of the Ancien Régime demonstrated their power and sent an unequivocal message to the Paulskirche National Assembly.
    [Show full text]
  • The German Fear of Russia Russia and Its Place Within German History
    The German Fear of Russia Russia and its place within German History By Rob Dumont An Honours Thesis submitted to the History Department of the University of Lethbridge in partial fulfillment of the requirements for History 4995 The University of Lethbridge April 2013 Table of Contents Introduction 1-7 Chapter 1 8-26 Chapter 2 27-37 Chapter 3 38-51 Chapter 4 39- 68 Conclusion 69-70 Bibliography 71-75 Introduction In Mein Kampf, Hitler reflects upon the perceived failure of German foreign policy regarding Russia before 1918. He argues that Germany ultimately had to prepare for a final all- out war of extermination against Russia if Germany was to survive as a nation. Hitler claimed that German survival depended on its ability to resist the massive faceless hordes against Germany that had been created and projected by Frederick the Great and his successors.1 He contends that Russia was Germany’s chief rival in Europe and that there had to be a final showdown between them if Germany was to become a great power.2 Hitler claimed that this showdown had to take place as Russia was becoming the center of Marxism due to the October Revolution and the founding of the Soviet Union. He stated that Russia was seeking to destroy the German state by launching a general attack on it and German culture through the introduction of Leninist principles to the German population. Hitler declared that this infiltration of Leninist principles from Russia was a disease and form of decay. Due to these principles, the German people had abandoned the wisdom and actions of Frederick the Great, which was slowly destroying German art and culture.3 Finally, beyond this expression of fear, Hitler advocated that Russia represented the only area in Europe open to German expansion.4 This would later form the basis for Operation Barbarossa and the German invasion of Russia in 1941 in which Germany entered into its final conflict with Russia, conquering most of European 1 Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, trans Ralph Manheim (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1943, originally published 1926), 197.
    [Show full text]