In order to understand German
culture, we must understand how Germany had become an actual nation. Throughout
this chapter and this blog I will discuss not only the end of the Holy Roman
Empire, but how it created the birth of modern Germany. But when it first
started to develop there were several challenges The citizens had to overcome.
For starters the treaties of Münster and Osnabrück were considered setbacks in
the establishment of a nation state. The treaties were part of the treaty known
as, the Peace of Westphallia which ended the Thirty Year’s War. Both of these
treaties were considered setbacks in the establishment of the German state. Then
“Prince Elector Frederick III named himself “King of Prussia” and the people of
Vienna laughed and disregarded his rule” (78, Schulze). Next is that the Holy Roman
Empire is destroyed. To get to the birth of Germany, we must have the destruction
of the Holy Roman Empire. But that’s the fun fact, there was no destruction.
The Holy Roman Empire was thriving upon “guarantees of the European powers, but
also legally, through feudal privileges and obligations” (69, Schulze). On July
12, 1806, Germany, rather the states that made up to Germany, signed an act
which stripped them away from the Holy Roman Empire. It then established that
Napoleon as the Theinbund (99, Schulze). It wasn’t until August 6, 1806 when
Francis the II actually laid the crown down (99, Schulze).
Germany was actually not a term that
could be labeled or actually held meaning to it. “Ludwig von
Seckendorff in 1656 declared in his Teutscher Fürstenstaat (“The German
Principality”), that a “German nation” in the political sense existed, but
stated that it was challenging to describe and that several other nations
existed within it on lower levels” (Schulze 86). While Germany was trying to
develop its nation, the next to grow is the education. The social structure
grew into a mold where the educated elite were at the top. Because the elite
class grew it created a standard German language from the regional dialects and
local idioms (89, Schulze). But with this created a twist in who was the heroes
and the stars of the country. Germany no longer looked up to the princes or
military leader, rather now the vast assortment of poets and philosophers (91,
Schulze).
In
1871 Germany became unified. In order to achieve this, Bismark was the
chancellor that created this unification. He teamed up with the Hohenzollern
Dynasty in order to establish the German Empire. Because of this they developed
an authoritarian style government. The ruling started in 1871-1890 with Kaiser
Wilhem I. Wilhelm was considered weak but he was working and controlled by
Bismark. Next came Kaiser Wilhelm II who was in control until World War I in
1914. Although this sounds like it would work, it didn’t actually unify the
state. In fact it just opened the door to seeing that there was so many things
left unsettled. It didn’t have on religion, one powerhouse, one culture, etc.
So instead they fought to answer all these question. By unifying the land it
was supposed to connect all the loose ends, rather it left with even more
problems to be solved.
