German 200 Notes - Imperial Germany PDF

**[IMPERIAL GERMANY (Sept 4^th^)]** NOV 19^TH^ IS MY DISCUSSION LEAD DAY **[Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (first German Empire/ Reich)]** - Approx. 800-1806 - Loose confederation, divided into numerous territories - Not an organized state - One elected emperor - Piece of Ro...

**[IMPERIAL GERMANY (Sept 4^th^)]** NOV 19^TH^ IS MY DISCUSSION LEAD DAY **[Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (first German Empire/ Reich)]** - Approx. 800-1806 - Loose confederation, divided into numerous territories - Not an organized state - One elected emperor - Piece of Roman Empire that was German land **** - French victories over Prussia at Jena and Auerstedt - End of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation - Napolean establishes confederation of the Rhine (a river in Germany) - Germany becomes conceivable - German nationalism is created; Do these people want Germanness? - Prussia gained considerable territory through military actions. **[1819-1830]** - Consolidation to 30 states **** - Establishment of Zollverein (German customs union) - Rise of liberalism and nationalism - Interest in democratic decision-making - Effects of industrialization -- concerns about rights, increased wealth outside the monarchy. (Workers are exploited due to unregulated spaces, people become more concerned about their rights and safety) - Widespread access to education and print media - Influence of French revolutionary nationalism -- anti-monarchist. **** - German national assembly meets in St. Paul's church in Frankfurt to draft a constitution of national government. - Politically weak, no military, governing bodies of states, particularly Prussia too strong, eventually failure of this revolution. Democrats driven out of territories in 1849. **[Path to German Unification 1871]** - Otto Von Bismarck: Anti-liberal, anti-revolutionary, Prussian politician, engaged by Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV, then by Wilhelm I (foreign minister). They want to gain ground in the German states and are looking for ways to do that. So, they contact French forces that are also interested in gaining more land and a war begins. They push their way into French territory and wanted to put substantial pressure on France for their land. They won the war against France by going after Paris. - **1870-1871:** Franco-Prussian war (Prussians won) - **1871:** German second empire (strong Prussia) proclaimed Versailles (!) (big deal because a German Emperor is being crowned in the famous palace outside of Paris / Wilhelm I becomes German Emperor. - Bismarck becomes Imperial Chancellor. **[2^nd^ German Empire/ Reich]** - German "Kaiserreich"; Willhelmine Germany - Founded by Bismarck and Wilhelm. (House of Hohenzollern, Prussian King) - Bismarck united Germany in 3 wars: 1864 Denmark, 1866 Austria, 1870-71 France - Ended with capitulation after the Great War - Nov 9, 1918: Kaiser abdicated; republic proclaimed. - Bismarck unites Germany "from above". (After the 1848 democrats failed to do it "from below") - Grossdeutschland: Federal state (can accommodate greater diversity: non-German, Hungarian part of Habsburg empire) - Kleindeutschland: Centralized state - Bismarck chose the smallest without Austria or Hungarian part of Habsburg empire. - Industrialization led to strong unions and successful social democratic party in the German parliament. (danger to aristocracy and Emperor Wilhelm I) **[1900s]** - Fights in parliament and elections between social democrats and pro-colonialists. - Tension Reichstag: Emperor/ aristocracy. - 1914: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, Germany advances to France - Austria declares war on Serbia, several declarations of war, Germany advances to France. - 1917: Revolution in Russia, U.S declares war on Germany. - 1914-1918: World War I **[Colonialism]** 1884: German Reich becomes colonial power - Particularly in Africa (Namibia, Tanzania, Cameroon) - Kilimanjaro in Tanzania labelled as Germany's highest mountain. 1890s: - Build-up of the German fleet (rival Great Britain) **[What is a citizen?]** - Constitution was a contract among princes of German States - Eligibility to vote in election (for men) - Based on territory - No catalogue of human/citizen rights (unlike the constitution in Frankfurt in 1849) - Powers of the democratically elected Reichstag were limited, but covered commercial and judicial matters, and military budget. **[Citizenship law of 1913]** - Based on blood and soil - "Ius Sanguinis" (the law of blood) - Nationalist tendencies. Territory changes made Germany more homogenous after WWI. - Deutsche Welle -- German public broadcaster for international audience, available in 32 languages. (Some current stories: migration, economy, culture) **[Emergence of nationalism in the late 18^th^/19^th^ century (textbook)]** - Nation as a self-determining entity is a modern idea - Nation as unit for social life - Group of people (on a particular territory) - Legitimate basis for a state - Kulturnation (nation of culture: heritage, tradition, religion, language) - Staatsnation (nation based on the state) - Example: US vs Germany, Canada vs Germany **[\\]** - Ethnocultural vs political/ territorial nationalism **[Three functions of German language for national identity (textbook)]** 1. Economic level: Linguistic nationalism vs anonymity of industrial revolution in the 19^th^ century 2. Social level: Unification of one people, breaking down elite structures 3. Cultural level: symbolic boundary marker (self-determination of a nation) Deutsch and Gellner: Marxist understanding of nationalism. Economic interpretation -- they do not see nationalism as part of human nature Bendikt Anderson: Links nationalism to the rise of print capitalism Anthony Smith: Affiliation to your own group pre-dates modern capitalism. Nation states existed in some forms much earlier. Adrian Hastings: Link to the development of literature Eugene Delacroix (painting): Goddess of liberty, robust woman of the people, commemorates the July Revolution of 1830 when Charles X was overthrown. **[2^nd^ Reich]** - Emperor Wilhelm I and Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck -- 1871 unification **[1888 ]** -- Wilhelm I died. "Year of 3 emperors". Friedrich III was next in line to succeed the throne and was already sick with cancer when he took the throne, Emperor for 99 days - Wilhelm II was next in line after Friedrich; made a lot of changes. **** - Wilhelm II dismisses Bismarck - Wilhelm II believed in expansionism - With Bismarck gone, Wilhelm II was able to have control over whatever he wanted and could establish new rules. - Opposed to Bismarck's Anti-socialist legislation **[Pre -- World War I]** - Bismarck as "Iron Chancellor", but with careful foreign policy, out in 1890 - Intensification of nationalist enthusiasm all over Europe. - Germans proud beyond all party lines **[World War I]** - 1914: Assassination of Franz Ferdinand of Austria. Austria declares war on Serbia, several declarations of war, Germany advances to France. - 1917: Revolution in Russa, U.S declares war on Germany - 1914-1918: The Great War - German revolution in 1918 **[Impact of Events Late in WWI]** - 1917: Refusal of War loans through Reichstag - October 1917: Revolution in Russia - Destruction of Modern war, disappointment in German military, deaths, civil food shortages in Germany - Oct 1918: Kiel sailor\'s mutiny; reacted against their orders - Nov 1918: Socialist republic of Bavaria - Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicates (no more emperor); Chancellor Max von Baden hands over power to Friedrich Ebert of Social Democrat Party - Jan 1919: Spartakist uprising; reacting against what\'s going on in the political scenario (Rosa Luxemburg, Leo Jogiches, Clara Zetkin, Karl Liebknecht) - quashed by Friedrich Ebert through army and Freikorps; Assassinations (there was improvement of the Freikorps). - Red Guards begin arresting and executing those that were hostile to the new regime in Bavaria. - Ebert orders German army and Freikorps into Bavaria. - June 1919: Treaty of Versailles signed. Brought shame and humiliation to the nation of Germany; needs balance in Europe, particularly with France. - Germany's political model becomes an increased democracy and increased leftist values, geographic tensions within the nation - Soviets ceased all private property to make it public - Freikorps get more powerful as the Weimar Republic goes on. **[Conditions of the Treaty of Versailles (symbolically means French revenge for 1871) for Germany]** - Surrender of German colonies - Return of Alsace-Lorraine to France - Cession of Euepen-Malmedy to Belgium, Memel to Lithuania, the Hultschin district to Czechoslovakia - Poznania, parts of East Prussia and Upper Silesia to Poland - Danzig to become a free city - Plebiscites to be held in northern Schleswig to settle the Danish-German frontier - Basically, loss of territory, population, colonies, commercial fleet, goods (corn, potato, grain, iron) - And more. **[Events in Germany Post-war]** - Kapp Putsch Feb 1920 - Elections June 1920 - French invasion of Ruhrgebiet - Hyperinflation **[Possible Values of a Democracy]** - Liberty, confidence in democratic decisions, strong parliament and leaders, legal system, economic welfare. - However, the Weimer Republic was forced by the Allies and political pragmatism. Accepting the Treaty of Versailles in the Weimar Republic would be considered symbolic treason. **[Treaty of Versailles]** - One of five treaties from the conference - Germany's new constitution took effect on August 11, 1919. - Many thought that there wasn't enough punishment of leaders in the Treaty and that different countries weren't getting enough reparations. The US didn't sign the Treaty of Versailles. - 262:75 votes. - By 1920, the assembly has lost the majority government and extremes are emerging from the left and the right in Germany. **[Weimar Culture]** - Modernism: "making it new" (Ezra Pound) in writing, art, music, and science. - Cultural and artistic period at the beginning of the 20^th^ century. - Challenged audiences by thwarting conventions of many art forms by the subjected experience of the artist. **[Modernity]** - Crisis of industrialization -\> people are enabled to travel. (Accelerated time, more space, distances, style) - Many different realities (what is a person? What is a subject?) losing control over thinking of different things. - Psychoanalysis **[Expressionism Art]** - Making interior thoughts exterior - Perception of reality of distorted for the sake of conveying and inner vision. - Expressionists transform reality instead of seeking to imitate it. - Colour plays a role in what things can be - Lighting also plays a part with how it can contrast different paintings and scenes in cinema. - Moviemakers wanted to disrupt the audience's perception of reality and wanted to initiate a sense of discomfort among them. - **[Dadaism Art]** - Does not mean anything -- that\'s the point; nonsense text. - "Dada is the sun, dada is the egg, dada is the police of police" - Huelsenbeck - The idea was the breakdown meaning, simple, spontaneous. - The world is falling apart, the meaning of words is collapsing and breaking down. **[Bauhaus (style) Art]** - Simple, accessible, beautiful in the simplicity. - Arts for the masses, cutlery, cups. - Great for effect on style later. - Magnus Hirshfeld, institute for sexual science 1919-1933. He made contributions to the sexuality studies of people. **[New Sobriety (Art)]** - Reality, clinical description - Morality - Paintings are composed of very marginalized people. - Paintings used as a metaphor of social condition: unemployment, inflation, hunger, corrupted nature of human being. **[Cultural Expression ]** - Feeling good, free, playful to create a happiness by art versus the Weimar depression and nazi ideology - Golden twenties in Weimar Germany **Josephine Baker** -- Black female artist, famous for wearing a banana skirt (stereotypical -- reminiscent of the jungle, Africa, etc.) and topless for entertainment, wore wacky things to entertain white people. **[Racial Science]** - They thought race had been debunked and dissolved into nothing Nazism = Socialism **[Franz Kafka 1883-1924]** - Lived in Prague, part of Austro-Hungarian Empire until after WWI - Unknown during his lifetime - Trained as a lawyer, worked at insurance company - Modernist writer - He wrote "In the Penal Colony" (1914) and published in 1919. **[Kafka Discussion]** - Imaginary scenarios - Can point out contradictions - Symbolic meaning - Makes consequences clear Left: Collectivism, division of wealth, equality Right: Individualism, private property, capitalism. Communism: Doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of the major means of production and the natural resources of society. Fascism: (Cam from Mussolini's party name from a Latin word "fasces", a bundle of elm or birch rods -- usually containing an ax - used as a symbol of penal authority in Ancient Rome) Extreme nationalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy and the rule of elites, and the desire to create a people's community (volksgemeinschaft) in which individual interests would be subordinated to the good of the nation. **[Weimar republic later stages]** - Successful foreign policy Gustav Stresemann - Dawes plan: Germany\'s annual reparation payments would be reduced, increasing over time as its economy improved. - 1925-1934 Hindenburg, President of the Reich - Oct 25, 1929: Black Friday (stock market crashed in the US) **[Reasons for the failure of the republic]** - Still old administration, establishment, military of the wilhelmine empire - Social democrats/ other democrats accused of undermining the Germans in the Great War - Changing government, with many coalitions\' parties - Masses uncombined - Threats from the left and the right for the unstable republic. - Progaganda of Jewish people stabbing Germans in the back National Socialism's Rise to power March 27, 1930: Hermann Muller resigned as Chancellor (last parliamentary government) Presidential governments (appointed by Hindenburg) Jan 30, 1933: Adolf Hitler becomes Reich\'s-chancellor His party: National Socialist Democratic Workers Party (NSDAP) = Nazis 1933: The burning of the Reichstag (communists blamed for it, arrested), enabling laws: powers of legislation taken from the Reichstag to Hitler and his cabinet, Nazi party is only party allowed in Germany, Book burnings in Berlin and many German cities by student groups. (degenerate books like Jewish, communist, Kafka, Marx, Freud, etc.) 1934: Hindenburg dies, Hitler becomes Fuhrer and Reich Chancellor, no president anymore. Oct 3^rd^: Day of German Unity **[Racial ideology and Nazi "political theory" ]** - Mein Kampf (my struggle) - Hitler in prison from 1924-1925 - Best seller by 1933 - Mein Kampf was banned in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands after the war - Republished in 2015 for educational purposes - Showcases the ideas of a common enemy - "Several human races": founders, maintainers, destroyers of human race. - The Aryan Race: purity of blood, higher race always in the minority. - Germans, Scandinavians, English = Nordic Race - Jews and Gypsies are the lowest race - Jews used as scapegoats - Jews are "apparently" responsible for these things according to Hitler: They found the doctrine of Marxism, destroys the base of nation's economics, responsible for the loss of WWI, infiltrates suffering workers. Fuhrer Principle Sept 1934: Nazi party congress in Nuremberg Holocaust: A Greek word meaning "sacrifice by fire". Another term is Shoah (Hebrew) "devastation, ruin or waste" - 2.7 million Jews killed in the camps - Germanic people: Aryans (master race) - Non-Aryans were inferior - Mainly targeted Jews but also: ethnic groups, such as the Sinti and Roma people (gypsies), homosexuals, disabled people. - Concepts justified via eugenics/ scientific racism. - 1933: boycott of all Jewish owned businesses - 1935: Nuremburg laws introduced: exclude German Jews from the Reich citizenship, not allowed to marry or have sexual relations with persons of German or related blood, deprived Jews of most political rights - Over 900 Jews boarded a ship called the St Louis seeking a new home in Cuba, however Cuba denied their access into the country and told them they had to leave immediately. Great Britain accepted the Jews into their country, but around 250 Jews on the ship were killed at the hands of the Nazis. - Final solution to the "Jewish problem": deportations and exterminations. - Judenrat: Jewish council - 1943: Warsaw ghetto uprising #### **[\'Willing Executioners\'/ \'Ordinary Men\' Debate]** - People think that the German citizens that were silent throughout the entire world war should have been punished -