A History of Modern Germany Since 1815

Frank Tipton

Continuum International Publishing Group, 2003 - History - 730 pages

Germany continues to fascinate us into the twenty-first century because, unlike the history or national existence of other European states, its very being has been posed as a question. Why was there no unified German state until late in the nineteenth century? How did Germany become an industrial power? What responsibility does Germany bear for the two World Wars? This accessible but authoritative study attempts to answer these and other fundamental questions through looking at the economic, social, political and cultural forces which have created modern Germany. The 1848 revolutions ushered in an age of Realism which saw rapid economic development and the creation of the Bismarckian empire. However, by the early twentieth century Germany's economic expansion and position as a world power began to fracture and growing internal, economic, social and political contradictions led it, with disastrous results, into the First World War and the subsequent Weimar Republic. Hitler and the Nazi movement proposed a 'revolution' and the creation of a 'German style' and the Second World War/Holocaust is, arguably, the defining event of the twentieth century. The Americanization of the German economy and society, the 'economic miracle' and euphoria of reunification have in recent years rapidly given way to disillusionment as the major political parties have failed to master outstanding social and environmental problems. The 'German question' - Germany's place within the European Union - continues to be unanswered even within an EU where it is the dominant economic power.

Contents

• From Generation to Generation: 1
• The Romantic Age 181540: 25
• The 1840s and the Revolutions: 59
• The Age of Realism 185071: 90
• An Anxious Generation 187190: 129
• Germany 18501913: 139
• Neoclassical Facade and Modernist Revolt 18901914: 180
• regions of Germany 18801910: 196
• Literature: 205
• Urban culture and modern culture: 214
• Politics Governance and Diplomacy between Neoclassicism: 223
• The First World War: 270
• Das Soldatenbad 1915: 300
• The Weimar Republic 191833: 323
• The Politics of Feeling and the Search for Stability: 370
• numbers of deputies: 392
• The Nazi Generation: 420
• The Road to War and the Holocaust: 457
• Divided: 496
• Berlin 196268: 498
• West and East Germany after: 558
• Women and feminism: 584
• Could Germany become normal? Postmodern identity: 600
• Reunification and Reunited Germany: 614
• Taxes wealth and class: 640
• Citizenship and identity: 648
• The past that has still not gone away: 660
• BIBLIOGRAPHY: 668
• INDEX: 714

About the author

Frank B Tipton is Associate Professor of Economic History at the University of Sydney, Australia.

Bibliographic information

• Title: A History of Modern Germany Since 1815
• Author: Frank Tipton
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2003
• ISBN: 0826449107, 9780826449108
• Length: 730 pages
• Subjects: History / Europe / Germany; History / General