Imperial Germany 1871-1918

Short Oxford History of Germany

by James Retallack (editor)

The German Empire was founded in January 1871 not only on the basis of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck's "blood and iron" policy but also with the support of liberal nationalists. Under Bismarck and Kaiser Wilhelm II, Germany became the dynamo of Europe. Its economic and military power were pre-eminent; its science and technology, education, and municipal administration were the envy of the world; and its avant-garde artists reflected the ferment in European culture. But Germany also played a decisive role in tipping Europe's fragile balance of power over the brink and into the cataclysm of the First World War, eventually leading to the empire's collapse in military defeat and revolution in November 1918.
With contributions from an international team of twelve experts in the field, this volume offers an ideal introduction to this crucial era, taking care to situate Imperial Germany in the larger sweep of modern German history, without suggesting that Nazism or the Holocaust were inevitable endpoints to the developments charted here.

Genres: History, 19th Century, Germany, Nonfiction, European History

344 pages, Hardcover

First published June 2, 2008

About the author

James Retallack is Professor of History and German Studies at the University of Toronto.

Reviews

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is less than 300 pages and I actually read through it twice. Dr. Retallack put together a great collection of essays that capture a comprehensive and easy to read book on Imperial Germany. To the reader who is curious on what Imperial Germany was without having to do extensive research, this book gives a great preview. Each historian writes different as some works flow easier than others. Nonetheless, each essay is supported with the normal academia standard of primary and secondary sources. Definitely a solid read

[Celena]

can't say that i particularly enjoyed it but i sure did read the words inside !

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection of essays providing an overview of the topics of interest and current changes within the historiography of the Kaiserreich. The volume addresses the question of the Sonderweg without falling prey to its dangerous teleology of a direct path to Nazism. It places it within a context and addresses what, if any value, the older theory may have within the modern study of imperial Germany. The volume is also an exceptional introductory resource for the complicated and diverse domestic society and politics within Germany prior to and during the First World War.