Dimensions
128 x 197 x 10mm
The rise and fall of the German Empire from the Franco-Prussian war to its demise, in defeat and revolution, in 1918.
Within the lifetime of one generation Germany was able to become the foremost industrial and trading power in Europe. Bismarck's revolution from above unleashed vast energies through the nation state. Industrial performance was second to none and was accompanied by the birth of the welfare state and democratic institutions; of a socialist subculture and an ambitious liberal bourgeoisie.
But why did the Empire end in war? Were the inevitable stresses of transforming an agricultural society into an industrial one uncontainable? Perhaps the Kaiser's rule was too authoritarian and out of touch to allow Germany to evolve into a more open society with liberal politics?
In this new study, Michael Sturmer sets out to rediscover this lost land and trace its myriad contributions to the modern world. He finds a paradigm in the past for a possible future. Living with its contradictory memories, reunited Germany has every chance to define itself a lasting role as a major factor within the Euro-Atlantic balance.
