The Impact of Napoleon: Prussian High Politics, Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Executive, 1797-1806This book examines Prussia's response to Napoleon and Napoleonic expansionism in the years before the crushing defeats of Auerstadt and Jena, a period of German history as untypical as it was dramatic. Between the years 1797 and 1806 Prussia shocked Europe not by her assertiveness but by her acquiescence, not by her contempt for international norms but by trust in such norms long after they had been abandoned by her neighbours. Throughout this period the main fear of Prussian statesmen was French power, rather than revolution from below. This threat spawned a foreign-policy debate characterised by geopolitical thinking: the belief that Prussian policy was conditioned by her unique geographic situation at the heart of Europe. Similar thinking underlay a parallel debate on the organisation of the executive: Prussian politicians felt that a swifter and more balanced process of decision-making was needed. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
The structures | 32 |
structural weaknesses in | 41 |
Alternative power centres? Aristocracy bureaucracy and | 56 |
Russia Austria Great Britain | 101 |
Prussian policy and politics | 159 |
Prussian policy and politics October | 191 |
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The Impact of Napoleon: Prussian High Politics, Foreign Policy and the ... Brendan Simms No preview available - 1997 |
Common terms and phrases
92 Hardenberg Alexander Alopeus Alvensleben Ansbach antechamber of power argued Austria Bailleu Bailleu ed Berlin Beyme Britain British bureaucracy Carl Schmitt coalition debate decision Denkwürdigkeiten Hardenbergs Deutsche electorate FBPG fear foreign-political France Francis Jackson französische Französischen Revolution Frederick William Frederick William III Friedrich von Gentz Friedrich Wilhelm Friedrich Wilhelm III Gentz geopolitical Germany Goltz GStA Rep GStA Rep.92 Hardenberg Hardenberg E5 Hardenberg to Jacobi Harrowby Haugwitz memorandum Hüffer ibid Instructions for Jacobi Jacobi report Jahre Jena Kabinett Kabinettsministerium Karl king Klinkowström König Lombard London Lucchesini Massenbach Memoiren zur Geschichte Metternich military ministry monarch Napoleon neutrality policy northern Germany Paris passim Politik politische Potsdam Preußen Preussen und Frankreich preußische preußischen primacy of foreign PROL FO Prusse Prussian Prussian foreign policy Prussian high politics Prussian policy Prussian politicians Prussian statesmen Ranke reform Reich royal Rüchel Schönbrunn Schulenburg secret policy St Petersburg Stamm-Kuhlmann Stein Swedish Pomerania Talleyrand territorial treaty Treaty of Potsdam unfoliated wrote