Description
Book SynopsisThe German Empire was founded in January 1871 not only on the basis of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck''s ''blood and iron'' policy but also with the support of liberal nationalists. Under Bismarck and Kaiser Wilhelm II, Germany became the dynamo of Europe. Its economic and military power were pre-eminent; its science and technology, education, and municipal administration were the envy of the world; and its avant-garde artists reflected the ferment in European culture. But Germany also played a decisive role in tipping Europe''s fragile balance of power over the brink and into the cataclysm of the First World War, eventually leading to the empire''s collapse in military defeat and revolution in November 1918.With contributions from an international team of twelve experts in the field, this volume offers an ideal introduction to this crucial era, taking care to situate Imperial Germany in the larger sweep of modern German history, without suggesting that Nazism or the Holocaust were inevi
Trade Reviewoffers a useful first port of call for students interested in Imperial Germany. * Lars Fischer, Canadian Journal of History *
useful, informative, and entertaining in equal measure. * Ewald Frie, German Historical Institute London Bulletin *
Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Bismarckian Germany ; 2. Wilhelmine Germany ; 3. Economic and social developments ; 4. Religion and confessional conflict ; 5. Culture and the arts ; 6. Gendered Germany ; 7. The bourgeoisie and reform ; 8. Political culture and democratization ; 9. Militarism and radical nationalism ; 10. Transnational Germany ; 11. War and revolution ; 12. Looking forward ; Further Reading ; Chronology ; Index
