Germany post WWI

German Radical Changes

Before WWI Germany was a world super power.  They had the second best economy in the world only to the United States.  At the end of the war, however, the German economy was in complete ruin.  At the end of WWI, the world was in chaos especially in Europe.  Much of Europe, especially in Germany, was reduced to rubble.   There were a huge number of deaths from both sides during the war.  The lives of the German people were about to get so much harder because the economy was almost worthless.  The country had to print off tons of money in order to pay the allied powers for reparations of things that took place during the war.  The people of Germany actually used their currency as wallpaper because inflation was so high, and the currency was completely useless.

German woman using currency to fuel her furnace because the money has little value.

The people of Germany were viewed as criminals by a large portion of the war.  Everyone outside of Germany believed that Germany was responsible for starting the War, which is why they were forced to pay so much for it.  The end of the war ended the empire/emperor age in Germany so the people were looking to get behind someone or something that would bring the country back to what it once was.  There were revolutions in the streets where spartacists in Berlin were trying to instill a socialist form of government.  However, the leaders of the spartacists were brutally murdered and thrown into the river by the German police.

Karl Liebnickt: one of the leaders of the Spartacists that was murdered by German police.

   The Germans were looking for someone to get behind, to make their country great again. The country wasn’t sure whether or not it wanted to become a communist or democratic government.  The Wiemar Republic was founded in 1919 which was more of a democratic form of government.  The German people were not happy with the Weimar Republic because it failed to get them to where they were before the war.  They wanted someone at the helm of the government that wouldn’t back down from outside influences, and would do whatever it took to make Germany great again.  This came in the hands of an Austrian named Adolf Hitler.  The Wiemar Republic dissolved in 1933, and the Third Reich was created with Hitler at the head.  Hitler quickly won over the hearts of the majority of the country with his ideas, and his speaking ability.  He was confident that the country could get to where it once was with him in power, and he made it clear that he wasn’t going to back down from any opposition.  The people of Germany fell in love with Hitler because he gave them something that they hadn’t felt in quite some time…hope.

Adolf Hitler: leader of the Nazi party in Germany after WWI and during WWII

Hitler poisoned the minds of the people of Germany and caused them to do ungodly things to human beings.  But, he had them so convinced that they were doing the right thing, and that they were doing what was best for the country as a whole.  Up until 1933 nobody really took Germany seriously because they weren’t the super power that once was before WWI.  However, once Hitler took the reign and started building up his army, the outside world began giving Germany a second look, and taking them seriously.  Because of Hitler’s radical ideas, the Germans hated much of the outside world because they were not of the Aryan race, or they had different beliefs.   They especially disliked Poland because of the overwhelming Jewish population there.  This is where Hitler would place the majority of his concentration, and death camps during WWII.  Hitler had the whole country in the palm of his hand, and he knew it. 

Polish children being held in a concentration camp in Poland.

Word Count: 607

                

A Unified Germany

The German territories, and provinces came together to form 1 German state in 1871.  During the 30 years war, the people of the German territory learned that it was better to make alliances with each other rather than fight each other.  This idea carried on even in 1806 when the Holy Roman Empire fell, and the people of the German states started taking action to unite the provinces, and create a unified Germany.

The German Provinces before 1871.

  Shulze says in the text that “the subjects of Prussia, Baaria, Saxony-Gotha, or, say, Schwarzburg-Sonderschausen might feel somehow “German.” (pg.102).  After the Holy Roman Empire fell, the provinces were beginning to feel a sort of nationalism, and they were proud to call themselves Germans instead of the name of their province.  Shulze goes on to say later in the text that in “1840 there was a rebirth of German nationalism and strong growth in organizations promoting it.” (p119).  I found this interesting because the organizations that he was referring to were the gymnastics movement which quickly spread throughout Germany.  This gave the Germans a team to root for, and the team wasn’t representing any specific province or territory, it was representing all of them as one.  It amazes me at how, even today, sports can bring a nation together. Even for me,there is no stronger feel of nationalism or patriotism then when the United States is competing in the Olympics.

A huge step in the unification of Germany came on May 18^th, 1948 when the German National Assembly which consisted of 585 representatives met in St.Paul’s church in Frankfurt to create a constitution, and elect national government.  There was a major debate on which regions should actually be involved in the new Germany.  They would either use all of the German regions including Austria, or they would “exclude the Austrian areas and be ruled by the Hohenzollern emperor” (p126).  This was a major issue, and there many of the people were split between a “Great Germany” and a “Small Germany”.  This issue escalated into violence, and even revolutions.   The whole thing was a mess at the start because even the people that were being appointed to run the new Germany didn’t want the job because it was “filthy” if it was coming from the parliament and not from the princes themselves.  Nevertheless, they successfully became one unified country in 1871. 

Painting of the National Assembly that met in 1848

St.Paul Church where National Assembly met




The unification of Germany was an extremely important event in German society.  Although, when they were first unified, there were people of many different cultures, that spoke different languages and that did every day activities differently.  Also, the people of the new Germany had many different beliefs both political, and religious.  However, the majority of the people knew some type of unification was necessary because they would become one strong nation, instead of many weak nations.  They would both have a stronger army, as well as a stronger economy if they were unified as opposed to separate.  They wouldn’t have known this now (and probably not in the 1940s either) but today, Germany’s economy is one of the strongest economies in the world. 

The German identity took time to evolve to what it is today.  Although the people still have their differences (much like everywhere else in the world) they have overcome so much as a unified nation.  They have a common German language, they have common political beliefs, and for the most part the cultures of all of the provinces have blended magnificently into one culture.  That isn’t to say that they culture of the provinces have vanished, it is more likely that the culture of the provinces have all come together to make one unique German culture. 

What Germany Looks Like Today.

Word Count:  610

Berlin History Blog Post #4

           After watching the Berlin History videos, one subject that really caught my attention was the rise of the communist party in 1919.  The communist party and there revolutionary ideas were gaining popularity throughout Berlin.  Run by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg, the people of Berlin took to the streets to take control of the Government.  The Kaiser of Prussia organized a group of volunteer soldiers to put the uprising at rest, and things got violent.  The communists had taken control of many important buildings in Berlin including the Brandenburg Gate.  Eventually the volunteer soldiers were able to take back control of the city, and the gate through the use of weapons.  They then received a tip on where they could find Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg so they surrounded the building, and murdered them by shooting them in the head.  The body of Rosa was dumped into the canal.

A Picture of Karl Liebknecht; the leader of the Communist Party

            This story about the history of Berlin interests me because it is something that I had never learned about or even heard of before.  To think that an idea of a classless society could spark a mini revolution in a major European city is intriguing.  Karl Marx who was a main leader of communism believed that if you controlled Germany, then you controlled Europe.  This thought was driving the people of Berlin in their fight because if Berlin fell to Germany then the entire country would shortly follow.  Once the Country was communist there was a great chance that neighboring countries would follow.  We saw this with the Domino Effect during the cold war.  Russia turned communist and shortly after countries surrounding Russia were communist as well.  It is also a scary thought that a government can murder the leaders of a political party just because they thought radically about the way a government should be run.  I found it interesting that they didn’t even leave the bodies to be buried by loved ones, they just disposed of them as quickly as they could. 

A book written by Karl Marx that was a huge influence on the spread of Communism

            Another topic in the video that was interesting to me was that East Berlin and West Berlin were not only competing politically, but they were competing in rebuilding their respective sides of the city.  After World War II I had learned that Berlin was in bad shape, but I never really knew how bad until I watched these videos.  When Winston Churchill flew to Berlin to get Germany’s formal surrender from the war, he compared it to a classical city in ruin.  Buildings everywhere were either completely demolished or had gaping holes in the side.  I’m sure it left many people homeless, and jobless.  It was interesting that both sides of the city were trying to rebuild and make it a model city that the rest of the world would look to.  The East side built the wall, and there were many young people who were hired to build social apartments for people to stay in because, as one woman in the video said, it was impossible to even find a flat let alone a house.  On the west side, they build a giant office building right next to the wall.  The East responds right a way by building 4 brand new apartment buildings that made the office building look obsolete.  The communists then built a huge tv tower that could be seen from both east and west.  They also began rebuilding the Schloss which stood as a Palace of the republic.  However, when the wall fell, and the Cold War was over, the west Berliners were quick in demolishing the palace.  This was a very important event in Berlin History because the two sides competing against each other helped rebuild the city much quicker, and much better.  In a way, they kept each other motivated to make Berlin great again, and to make it what it is today.

A map that shows East and West Berlin during the Cold War.  East belonged to the Russians while West was split between the US, Britain, and France

The TV Tower built by East Berlin symbolized a new, and improved city

Word Count: 643

Reluctant Revolutionary: Blog Post #3

In 1517, Martin Luther posted the 95 Thesis on the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church.  The purpose of this document was to take a shot at the Pope and the Catholic Church as a whole to expose them for what they really were.  However, when word of this document was spread throughout the German Provinces, it did much more than that.

A Sketch of Martin Luther Nailing the 95 Thesis to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church 

  By the writing of the 95 Thesis, as well as many other books and pamphlets criticizing the Catholic Church, Luther was able to influence the people of Germany, and forced them to question the intentions of the Pope, and the Holy Roman Empire.  Martin Luther had an enormous impact on the culture of the German Provinces through his work.  After seeing him stand up to the Holy Roman Emperor, they learned that everyday people can stand up to authority whenever they felt they were being oppressed.  He also created a new concept that pastors of the church were allowed to marry, and live similar lives to those in their congregation which was unheard of in the Catholic Church.  The people of Germany were looking for a voice to say what they were feeling.  The voice came in the form of books and documents written by Martin Luther, and the German people were quick in supporting him, and getting behind what he was saying.

A Picture of Pope Leo X sitting with his Cardinals

              Luther also had an influence on political rulers.  He understood early on that if he is going to influence the people of Germany then he is going to have to focus on the secular and political rulers.  He realized that if he is to purify the church he needs the cooperation of the people in power.  Specifically he had a huge influence on the German Prince named Fredrick the Wise who ended up protecting him before and after his meeting with the Holy Roman Emperor.  I think the reason that he had so much influence on Fredrick is because Fredrick believed in what Luther was saying in his books, and he wanted to see a decline in the influence of the Catholic Church, and the Pope.  Being a Prince of a German province, which was under the control of the Holy Roman Empire, Frederick would definitely have something to gain if their influence or power were to decline. 

A Portrait of Frederick the Wise, the German Prince that protected Martin Luther.

Lastly, and probably the most obvious was the influence that Martin Luther had on religion at the time.  There have been people before Luther that have stood up to the Catholic Church and been burned at the stake for being a heretic.  Luther knew that what he was doing was dangerous but he also knew that someone had to do it because the Catholic Church was corrupt and was deceiving the people that looked to it for help and guidance.  His writing made people question their beliefs, and exposed the church for what it really was.  Because of his writings (and with a little help from the printing press) he was able to start a religious reformation where people turned away from the Catholic Church and started a new system of beliefs which he wrote down in “The Babylonian Captivity of the Church”

The effects that Martin Luther had on the German Speaking lands back in the 16^th Century can still be seen today.  He gave the people a voice at a time when they didn’t have one, and gave them the choice to believe in what they wanted to believe in.  With his new system they had a say in how their religion was run, and he gave them a relationship between them and god without having the middle man (the pope) telling them what was right and what was wrong

Word Count: 615

Ryan G Blog #2

All throughout High School my favorite classes were always history ones.  I remember my sophomore year I took a European History class where we learned about Western Europe, and how they got where they are today.  In this class, I remember learning about Germany in the 15^th and 16^th centuries and talking about Martin Luther, and the 30 Years War.  However, after reading the first 2 chapters of Hagen Schulze’s Germany: a New History I realized that we had only scratched the surface. 

The 30 Years War (1618-1648) was a religious war that was started when the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II wanted to restore the Catholic unity of Europe.  The war mainly consisted of the Protestants of the Bohemian Estates, and the Catholics of the Roman Empire.  Eventually the major European powers got involved such as Sweden, France, Great Britain, Spain and Austria.  The war was actually a succession of several wars where the people of Germany suffered many casualties.  In fact, roughly 20% of Germany’s population had perished during the war.  The Peace of Westphalia was finally signed in 1648, ending the war and addressing most of the outstanding issues between the two sides.

Emperor Ferdinand II of the Holy Roman Empire

Map of Europe During the 30 Years War

The 30 years war was an extremely important event in German history.  Although it was catastrophic in the amount of people that were killed, there was some good to come out of it as well.  With the signing of the Peace of Westphalia, the countries of Europe started to come together, and realized that if they were to keep on that path then the wars would never stop.  It showed the countries in Europe that “in the long run, the only way to prevent ongoing universal strife was a political order that included everyone.” (Shulze p64).  Europe realized there needed to be laws and regulations in place that made sure that the existence and rights of every country is recognized by every other country.  The idea that the European countries must stick together in order to be successful is still seen in our world today.  The European Union was created in order to connect the economies of Europe so that the countries can build off of one another, and help each other out should they ever need it.  Because of an idea that was acted on almost 400 years ago, Europe is now flourishing because they are all working together, and helping each other out.   In the United States we see this idea as well although the countries of North America are not as close together as Europe.  The North American Free Trade Agreement is a concept based on the premise that the countries that are closest to you should be helping you, not threatening you.  If the people in Europe didn’t learn this in 1648 then the world we live in today could have been much different.  For example, the protestant religion, and Martin Luther’s religious reformation could have been wiped out, and the Lutherans that we know today could have much different beliefs based on something that happened almost 400 years ago.

Schulze, Hagen. Germany: A New History. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1998. Print.

Word Count: 510

Why I Chose Germany

I never thought in a million years that I would be making a blog, but here I am and I kind of like it.  But to answer the question of why I chose to travel abroad to Germany is an easy one.  Like many others that are going on this trip, I have never been out of the United States.  I chose to travel to Germany because I want to experience another culture other than the one I have been surrounded by for the past 21 years.  This trip is going to give me the opportunity to see life from another perspective and find out what people in other countries eat, drink, how they interact with each other, and what they like to do for fun.  Before I decided that I wanted to travel abroad, my mom showed me a picture from Facebook or one of the social media sites and it was a quote that said "if you're 22, physically fit, and hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel."  After seeing this picture, I realized that North Central is giving me an opportunity that I may never get again.  As Dr. Wolf said at the first meeting that we had, we most likely will never be in a different country for as long as 3 weeks again.

Picture my beautiful mother showed me that got me thinking about studying abroad

Now, there are many different countries that I could have chosen to travel to instead of Germany.  However, I decided to go to Germany because of the history of the country.  I love history, and learning about things that happened in the past.  Germany has a very rich, and interesting history that I would love to explore.  From the Castles to the Cathedrals to the events of World War II such as the Holocaust, and concentration camps, to Martin Luther and his 95 Thesis.  I want to explore it all, and this trip is perfect for doing just that.

A Picture of Martin Luther who wrote the 95 thesis, and began a religious reformation in 1517.

While I'm in Germany I plan on learning a lot about the culture, and how the German people live.  There are going to be obvious differences between the lifestyle in Germany and the one that I'm accustomed to in the United States, which I'm looking forward to.  I want to be able to come home with a better understanding of how other people live, what is different about them, and what is the same in relation to the people in the US.  I am looking forward to talking with the people, and picking up a little bit of German in the process (because as of right now I don't speak any German at all).  I am extremely excited that I picked this trip over all of the others, and I can't wait to leave.  We have a good group of people going, and I can't wait to get to know all of them a lot better and make some new friends. It's going to be a lot of fun.

Word Count: 512