Assignment #1

Sarah Hayes

Assignment #1

10/22/2015

The Birth of the German Nation

The struggle of Germany becoming a state of its own was a prolonged series of events. Many factors let to Germany becoming a state including, “the shock of defeat, a sense of humiliation, the onerous financial burdens imposed on the defeated states, the devastations cased by French armies, and the rise of the cost of living” (Schulze 102). Although Germany was defeated by the French, they used this as a reason to be stronger, “by fighting for their own identity and freedom from French military and cultural dominations, Germans were serving the cause of progress” stated philosopher Johann Gottlieb Fichte in 1806 (104). It seemed as though Germany had to excessively prove their independence in order to gain respect from other states, and their way of proving it was to completely go against everything that the French believed in.

Johaan Gottlieb Fichte

As the Germany’s continued to demand the liberty and new constitutions that the government had promised, the government began to attempt to hold them back. The government began to punish individuals for speaking out and came up with “a policy of ruthless suppression of all revolutionary and liberationist movements” (111). I found this particular method very interesting. The German people could not speak out of they identity began to involve internally. They had the ideas of how they wanted their nation to be, and even though they could not speak out with those ideas, they let them grow. This let to an era known as Biedermeier, which was the longest span of peace that the country had ever seen. This was a period of two decades where Europe was not involved in any wars. I believe this is the Era in which the German people expanded on their identity. Political ideas and debates were pushed into the background leading the people to focus more on their small communities and development on a common identity.

German Nationalism

            Although overall Germany seemed at peace during this era, the national movement was still in the minds of many individuals. I found it interesting that the ideas of the movement were taking place within the minds of college students. This really interests me because in my opinion, college students have fresh minds and hopeful ideas. Exactly what Germany could benefit from if they listened to the ideas of the students. Students were not the only ones who were interested in the national movement, it also consisted of democratic working men and artisans and soon gained the support of local farmers. A huge issue in this era was overpopulation, and lack of food to support the overpopulation. These individuals who could not support themselves moved to the city which led to an excessive amount of urban poor individuals.

Separate German States

            Although the term “German people” and “German fatherland” started to become more prevalent in the vocabulary of the people, it still was not a term in which everyone understood. It was used to “heighten the contrast with the enemy, the French” (117). As I stated earlier, their nationalism was mainly in opposition to the French. “Germany” was more of a consolidation of ideas going against the French, rather than the idea of all separate German states being consolidated into a single nation. That idea would only be understood by the minds of geographers. After this period, the rebirth of German nationalism would reappear and grow in the minds of all German citizens.