Bridget Finnegan 3/15/12 Period 1 Describe and analyze the changing views toward the concept of a “civil peace.” (Burgfrieden) in Germany from 1914 to 1918. During the year 1914, Germany’s Reichstaf, or parliament, was putting forth two major efforts: mobilizing German troops into was as well as declaring Burgfrieden (civil peace) in an attempt to convert Germany into a powerful, unified nation with a forcible grip on this war. Throughout the duration of the Great War, 1914 to 1918, the overall attitude of the German people in response to this civil peace changed along with Germany’s status in the war- worse. In 1914, the first year of WWI and that the Burgfrieden was put into action, the German people reacted to the civil peace with nothing short of exuberance, throwing all of their energy into it and the war effort. As 1915 and 1916 drew forth, the war was still in full swing and Germany had fallen under the weight of the Triple Entente.
To what extent was Stresemann responsible for the increased stability in Germany in 1924-29? The increased stability in Germany during the years of 1924-1929 was due to Gustav Stresemann's policies. I will be reflecting on the reasons that suggest he was responsible for this. Before Stresemann came into power German enconomy was in the air. As the chancellor in 1923 he led Germany out of the hyperinflation crisis and as the foreign minister, he ended Germany's isolation amongst the international community and helped the country to become a magnet for foreign investment.
This was because the new middle class that had emerged in the 'German states', from industrialisation, wanted political representation, and felt that it could only be achieved in a united Germany. The Congress of Vienna wanted to make sure that no country could take over Europe in the way that France did in the early 1800s, it aimed to do this by allocating more land to Prussia and creating a 'barrier' that would block any attempts of French expansion and also war from Russia in the east. The German Confederation divided Germany into thirty-nine states, as Napoleon did during the French occupation. A reduction in the number of German states may seem like a move towards nationalism and in turn unification, however it was in fact a direct move against it, as can be seen in the second amendment of the confederation. This is known as 'particularism', the principle of leaving each state in a federation free to govern itself and promote its own interests.
The frontier thesis is the assertion that the American character, including such traits as democracy and materialism, derived from the frontier experience. Turner is often identified as a “Progressive” historian, meaning that he views history as the inevitable process from chaos to improvement, with the underlying assumption that change is usually for the better. Explain how this optimism is expressed in the last
Was World War II the result of Hitler’s master plan? Name: Institutional Affiliation Date: Discussion Was World War II the result of Hitler’s master plan? Yes – Andreas Hillbruger from Germany and the Two World Wars, trans. William Kirby No – Ian Kershaw, from The Nazi Dictatorship: problems and perspectives of Interpretation Yes: German history professor and scholar Andreas Hillgruber’s main argument is that Hitler thoroughly pursued his foreign policy ambitions once he came to office in Germany and that the Second World War was the unavoidable result (Mitchell & Mitchell, 2000). In 1919 to 1928, Hitler’s conception of his foreign policy developed in numerous stages before solidifying into a strong program.
How important were the German princes in creating the atmosphere within which Lutheranism was successful? The German princes were essential for creating the atmosphere in which Lutheranism was successful between 1521 and 1555 because they maintained Luther’s teachings, making it a reality. Also they obtained military authority over Charles V who at this time, was a new, inexperienced emperor and also had major influence over Charles power due to the fact they were the ones who elected him. This proved useful at the Diet of Worms in 1521 when instead of Luther being issued full excommunication, instead he was offered a full hearing and this was all down to princely support. By 1531 the Schmalkaldic League was set up as a united defence alliance by protestant princes in response to Charles’s threat of eradicating Lutheranism.
Research Task on the Opening Stages of World War One 1. Who were the following people and what role did they play in the opening stages of World War One? a) Von Moltke - Upon Alfred von Schlieffen's retirement in 1906 Moltke became Army Chief of Staff. His predecessor had drawn up the famous Schlieffen Plan, to be used during war to quickly defeat France in the west by means of a rapid, overwhelmingly powerful flank attack through Belgium and Holland, whilst a small army kept Russia at bay in the east. b) Von Falkenhayne - He served as Chief of the Imperial German General Staff for part of the First World War before his eventual dismissal by Kaiser Wilhelm II. c) Sir John French - French was promoted to Field Marshal in 1913 following a varied and distinguished career to date, which included the Sudan Campaign of 1884-85 and notable service as a cavalry officer in the Boer War.
Assess how vital Bismarck is to the process of German Unification Intro and historians shifting views: In January 1871 King Wilhelm became the first German Kaiser of the new German empire. The creation of the empire was one of the most important developments of the nineteenth century. However, the process by which Germany came to be unified has been an area of heated historical debate ever since. Historians always have argued that German was not unified by the push for the nationalist ideology lead by the “bloody and iron” chancellor Otto Von Bismarck. In order to shift attention away from the liberal pressure to reform and modernizing Prussia, Bismarck was able to keep modernization forces at bay by pushing for a united Germany.
The era following World War I witnessed the burgeoning of a new lifestyle that characterized the 1920’s. The Great War, now famously known as World War I had brought America to the forefront of the global outlook. The war time excesses in production transformed into prosperity during the next decade which would watch America seek continued isolation despite the mounting global challenges. The Great War and the ensuing Versailles Treaty had left Europe in a rather deprived and devastated state where the Europeans continued to seek cultural and economic assistance from their cross-Atlantic neighbors. With new job opportunities, progressive ideas, an air of liberalism had engulfed the American continent.
The prominent perspective in Western thought is that history is linear and therefore, sequential. The basic tenet of linear history is that it follows a linear progression, which is characterized by a causal sequential model. The linear progression perspective gained a foothold with the spread of monotheism and particularly the Christian concept of a deity and the origin of man. Since 1865, the US has experienced a period of tremendous growth and a rise in its position in global politics that has been characterized by a linear progression. In February 1865, the Civil War ended with the peace conference held at Hampton Roads and the ratification of the 13th Amendment.