Katana VentraIP

German militarism

German militarism was a broad cultural and social phenomenon between 1815 and 1945, which developed out of the creation of standing armies in the 18th century. The numerical increase of militaristic structures in the Holy Roman Empire led to an increasing influence of military culture deep into civilian life. Independent jurisprudence, conscription, but also increasing isolation of soldiers from the rest of society, as a result of the development of barracks at the end of the 18th century, led to this development being particularly strong in Germany. Several dozen German states had their own standing armies by about 1800. Besides the large army of the Kingdom of Prussia, the states of Württemberg, Saxony, Bavaria, the two Hessian states (Electoral Hesse and Hesse-Darmstadt), Hanover, Baden and Münster all had standing armies of up to 35,000 men. The Austrian Empire also played an important role in the development of German militarism up until 1866.

The 19th century saw a combination of militarism and nationalism. Within the then-dominant Prussian Army, reactionary and right-leaning tendencies were highly influential. Increasingly, the army developed to be the "School of the Nation". As a result, millions of young German men experienced a year-long process of socialisation as conscripts or reservists within the institution of the army. The socially well-respected army played a key role in the development of a hierarchical and uniformed society. Several paramilitary structures with the characteristics of mass movements developed in the German-speaking regions of Europe within the 19th and 20th century. During the first half of the 20th century, German militarism reached its peak with two World Wars, which were followed by a consistent anti-militarism and pacifism within Germany since 1945, with a strong non-conformist tendency within subsequent generations.


After 1945, the particular kind of militarism as present in Germany came to be viewed as unique and, in that context, especially negative (see also Sonderweg). The apparent fixation of the German people on their military, combined with a strong belief in the central German state, were viewed as the main causes of Fascism in Germany.

Definition[edit]

German militarism as a term contains two distinc definitions: 1. Militarism in a more concrete sense, as a phenomenon dominating over civil society. The German Empire, Weimar Germany and Nazi Germany were, by that definition, militaristic states. 2. Militarism in a broader sense, with the adaption of militaristic customs and other imiations in civil society. In that sense, the German Democratic Republic can also be described as militaristic, as can be the Prussian state before 1815. Both of these definitions were applicable appeared within German history both separately and at the same time.

Tin soldiers, cannons, and other toys which were common among children

Drum-rolls and sabble-rattling were present at every inauguration of public spaces

[20]

Interaction between state authorities and the citizen based on orders and their recipients

Other militaristic interactions common in universities, such as ritual drinking (Kneipen) and (Mensur)[21]

academic fencing

Der Hauptmann von Köpenick. (Drama, 1931)

Carl Zuckmayer

: Der Untertan, 1914

Heinrich Mann

: Im Westen nichts Neues, 1929

Erich Maria Remarque

: Die Abenteuer des Werner Holt, 1960

Dieter Noll

: Irrfahrt, 1977

Gerhard Grümmer

Wolfram Wette: Militarismus in Deutschland. Geschichte einer kriegerischen Kultur. Fischer, Band 18149: . Frankfurt am Main: Fischer, 2011, ISBN 978-3-596-18149-0.

Die Zeit des Nationalsozialismus

Gerhard Ritter: Staatskunst und Kriegshandwerk. Das Problem des "Militarismus" in Deutschland. 4 Bde. München, Oldenbourg 1960–1968. () (I: Die altpreußische Tradition (1740–1890). / II: Die Hauptmächte Europas und das wilhelminische Reich (1890–1914). / III: Die Tragödie der Staatskunst. Bethmann Hollweg als Kriegskanzler (1914–1917). / IV: Die Herrschaft des deutschen Militarismus und die Katastrophe von 1918.)

Review

Hajo Herbell: Staatsbürger in Uniform 1789–1961. - Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte des Kampfes zwischen Demokratie u. Militarismus in Deutschland. Berlin: , 1969

Militärverlag

Wolfram Wette (Hrsg.): Schule der Gewalt : Militarismus in Deutschland 1871 bis 1945. Aufbau-Taschenbuch-Verl, Berlin, 2005, ISBN 3-7466-8124-3.

Thomas Rohkrämer: Der Militarismus der "kleinen Leute": Die im Deutschen Kaiserreich 1871–1914. (Beiträge zur Militärgeschichte, Band 29). 1990

Kriegervereine

Wolfram Wette (Hrsg.) Militarismus in Deutschland 1871 bis 1945. Zeitgenössische Analysen und Kritik. (Jahrbuch für historische Friedensforschung ; Jg. 8) Hamburg: Lit 1999

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Matthäus Klein, Alfred Kosing: Philosophie des Verbrechens: Gegen die Ideologie des deutschen Militarismus. Gemeinschaftsarbeit des Lehrstuhls Philosophie am Institut für Gesellschaftswissenschaften beim ZK der SED. Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften, Berlin 1959.(Beiträge u. a. zu: Strategie der psychologischen Kriegsführung; Klerikale Philosophie und Militarismus; Atombombenphilosophie; Philosophischer Antikommunismus als Ideologie der "Freien Welt"; Der Sozialismus siegt.)

Günter Heyden

: Le tour de l'Europe pendant la guerre. Paris 1916 Digitalisat

G. Bruno

: The History of Militarism: Civilian and Military, New York 1937; zahlreiche Nachdrucke. Inhalt

Alfred Vagts

: Männerphantasien, Neuausgabe Matthes & Seitz, Berlin 2019, ISBN 978-3-95757-759-7.

Klaus Theweleit

Erblast: Der preußisch-deutsche Militarismus

Clausewitz et le militarisme allemand

Немецкий милитаризм

(Robert M. Citino)

The Birth of German Militarism