History : Germany

Fully updated and expanded in response to the latest research in the area, with a new introduction, and a further reading section which hosts a guide to useful websites, this is a concise and accessible introduction to a key period in German history. more...

Price: $22.95

Few statesmen in history have inspired the imagination of generations of Germans more than the founder of the Kaiserreich, Otto von Bismarck. The archetype of charismatic leadership, the Iron Chancellor maintained his pre-eminent position in the pantheon of Germany's political iconography for much of the twentieth century. Based on a large selection of primary sources, this book provides an insightful analysis of Bismarck's legacy as a political myth that undermined parliamentary. democracy in Germany and contributed to the rise of Hitler. - ;Few statesmen in history have inspired the imagination of generations of Germans more than the founder of the Kaiserreich, Otto von Bismarck. The archetype of charismatic leadership, the Iron Chancellor maintained his pre-eminent position in the pantheon of Germany's political iconography for much of the twentieth century. Based on a large selection of primary sources, this book provides an insightful analysis of the Bismarck myth's profound impact on Germany's political culture. In particular, it investigates the ways in which that myth was used to undermine parliamentary democracy in Germany after the Great War, paving the way for its replacement by authoritarian rule under an allegedly 'Bismarckian' charismatic leader, Adolf Hitler. As one of the most powerful weapons of nationalist agitation against the Weimar Republic, the Bismarck myth was never contested. The nationalists' ideologically charged interpretation of Bismarck as the father of the German nation-state and model for future political decision-making clashed with rivalling - and thoroughly critical - democratic and communist perceptions of the Iron Chancellor. The quarrel over Bismarck's legacy demonstrates how the clash of ideologies, particularly between 1918. and 1933, resulted in a highly political fight for the 'correct' and universal interpretation of the German past. Essential reading for anyone interested in mode more...

Price: $110.00

Disraeli claimed that no country suffered more from the foundation of the German Reich than England. Bismarck's empire of 1871 did not, however, strike like a bolt from the blue. The question of German unity had been brewing for decades. Britain and the Germany Question reconstructs the way Victorians pictured the pre-history of the Reich from the July Revolution of 1830 until the eve of the 'Wars of German Unification'. It scrutinises how Britain's foreign political establishment - the diplomats, journalists and politicians who informed, determined and executed British foreign policy - analysed and responded to the Germans' search for a reformed, united and powerful nation state. more...

Price: $99.00

Great Britain's economic blockade of Germany in World War I was one of the key elements to the victory of the Entente. Though Britain had been the leading exponent of blockades for two centuries, the World War I blockade was not effective at the outbreak of hostilities. Pre-war changes had led to the Admiralty supplanting the Royal Navy's leadership role in favour of direction from the civilian branch of government on the basis of international law.The struggle between the primacy of international law and military expediency lasted for nearly two years, as the British tried to reconcile their pre-war stance as champion of neutral rights with measures necessary for a successful blockade. Not until 1916 did the operation have the potential to be a decisive factor in the defeat of Germany, when pressure from France, the Royal Navy, Parliament, British popular opinion, and the Admiralty forced the British government to abandon its defence of neutral rights over the interests of the state.The arrival of the United States as an ally in April 1917 initiated the final evolution of the blockade. The Entente and the United States tightened the blockade with crushing effect on Germany, and by November 1918, it was evidently one of the chief factors behind the victory. This knowledge reinforced the decision to retain the blockade in the months following the armistice in order to force favourable terms from Germany. In both the war and in the peace, the economic blockade performed a critical role in World War I. more...

Price: $190.00

Explores British diplomatic efforts to induce the German government to abandon, modify and, later, enlarge the EEC. The author argues that UK diplomacy between the Messina conference and the first membership application was counterproductive, making Britain seem hostile towards integration. more...

Price: $115.84