Analysis Of Germa German Nationalism: Germany By Stefan Berger

Even though Germanic tradition stems back to the 14th and 15th centuries, the German nation is relatively young. During its brief history, Germans were faced with the question of what constituted their own identity. Nationalism became a tool for the major players during the creation of the German State, and would later become deeply entrenched in the cultural mind. Nationalism served many masters, and could be used for the greater good, or sheer destruction. Nationalism storied past in Germany makes the modern state cautious when confronting national sentiments. Germans dark past has created a movement of Europeanization today. But in oder to better understand the modern German state, it is important look to how nationalism lead to its creation, and the ultimate affect it would have on the German people.

German nationalism is the main focus of Stefan Berger’s book Germany.

In his work, Berger looks to five major themes such as gendering, creation of enemies, exclusion, war, and economic standing to have played a crucial role in the creation of the German State. All of these themes have a nationalists undertones. Berger works these themes into the main watersheds of German history. He traces their development from the 15th century, the creation of the State, the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, and the German partition. This paper will examine each of the themes major themes separately, and following them though the various watersheds of Germany history. But before a deeper examinations of the themes presented in Germany can be examined, it is important to gain a better understanding of how nationalism played a role in the creation of the German state. This will better help to center the complex idea of Berger’s

work.
Federal constructions of Germany have remained popular amongst the German people, despite the Nazi and Communists movements to curtail them. Nationalism took hold in the 18th century as a means to move away from feudalism and further legitimize the new bourgeois capitalists system. Nationalism was a tool used by marginal groups to gain greater political participation. Liberal Nationalists welcomed the French Revolution’s ideas of Enlightenment, and mirrored these narrative in their own discourse. They saw German culture as rooted in the ideas of liberty and honesty. Germans began to be defined in other means as well, such as language, geography, and climate. Historians called on the mythologies of the Germanic tribes to spark nationalists ideas amongst the community. This, coupled with the wars of liberty would bolster German national sentiment.
During the 19th century, nationalists saw the weakness of the central state. Again looking to the Germanic past, they sought symbols to empower the German people. The revolutions of 1848 brought about a unified state constitutional system and the greater liberalization of the German society. Two main theories about the creation of the State emerged during this time, how they mobilized nationalists ideals would ultimately effect the creation of the nation.
Great-Germany, favored by conservatives, looked ti Austria-Hungry and the Habsburg Empire as a means of state hood. While the liberals championed a smaller-germany, which looked to Prussia. The liberals relied heavily on nationalists propaganda and to further their cause, and eventually won the battle. Conservatives now recognized the importance of nationalism in affecting change, and produced their own national sentiments supporting the dynastic system and feudal order.
With the creation of the State in 1871, nationalism began to be driven by the State. Statism and anti-pluralism was favored and the State worked to create both internal and external enemies as a means of furthering the German culture. Nationalism was the key to the creation of the federal state, and it would later be used to radicalize the notions of the State under the Nazis.
Now that a greater understanding of how nationalism effected the creation of the German State, we can move to further examine the themes present in Germany.