Chapter 4 covers the prewar Kaiser Wilhelm II’s Germany through a mix of chronologically following the various chancellors and thematic subsections on topics like Weltpolitik, culture, and the Kaiser’s embarrassing moments. A very short 3rd chapter for the period after Kaiser Wilhelm I’s death until the resignation of Bismarck. This chapter also covers the treatment of minorities like the Poles and French in the German Empire before finishing with Bismarck’s foreign policy. The second chapter is about Bismarck’s Germany and covers it in a thematic style, beginning with the political structure before moving onto the anti-Catholic Kulturkampf/culture war and the economic situation and how this effected socialism. This first chapter is mainly about the emergence of a German nationalist movement and Bismarck’s actions in the 1860s before Germany was unified. Despite the title saying 1871 the book begins in 1815 with the end of the Napoleonic Wars. It packs a lot of detail into only 240 pages and is accessible to read with good writing. To her great credit Professor Hoyer does not sign off her book with a chapter on post 1918 and what came after but leaves the German story well placed for a further volume or for readers to follow their own path to the 1920s and beyond.īlood and Iron is recommended for both newcomers to the subject area and for those who have interacted with this period and wish to read an impressive single volume of the period. The final chapter deals with the fate of Wilhelm II and his subjects noting exile for one and starvation, broken lives, and hardship for the other. German political parties and their personalities feature, especially where parties worked for or against each other, especially after Bismarck has retired and Wilhelm's replacements are in play.Īs the German nation grows in trade, status and military might, notably for France and Russia on land and for Britain at sea, we see alliances shift and the stage sets for the catastrophe of WWI and the impact it had on Germany and its people. There is, of course, coverage on Bismarck's approach to domestic and international politics, including his intertwined treaties and alliances, as well aspects such as trade, social status, and society in general. Starting not in 1871 but earlier in 1815 she provides context to inter-country relationships - notably France, Prussia and Russia with Austria-Hungary accompanying - and the general shape of Europe up to and just past the Franco-Prussian war of 1870.įrom this point, Wilhelm I, German emperor, Otto Von Bismarck and Wilhelm II take centre stage as we read of the creation of the German nation and its identity. In Katja Hoyer's well presented and readable account, she brings order and simplicity and covers much ground in a relatively short account. Arguably none more so than the states that came to be the German nation. Nineteenth century Europe is a complex world especially where politics, treaties, dynasties, and wars are concerned.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |