In the article, “The Germans as a Chosen People: Old Testament Themes in German Nationalism,” Hartmut Lehmann attempts to show to what extent the Protestant denominations of Germany contributed to the rise of German nationalism. He focuses on religion, theology, and how various Protestant groups developed the idea that major events in Germany were directly influenced by god. This idea of divine intervention among Protestants eventually transformed into the notion that Germans had developed a special connection with God, and that they were the “chosen people.”
He argues that there were four distinct phases in which the chosen people theme spread throughout Germany. The first phase began at the end of the Napoleonic Wars and lasted until the Revolution of 1830. In this phase, he argues that protestants were working to build God's kingdom by sending missionaries worldwide, helping the disadvantaged, as well as distributing bibles and pamphlets – in doing this, they believed they would obtain salvation by fighting the evil Enlightenment ideas that had developed.(FN). Phase two occurred between the revolutions of 1830 and 1848. He argues that the revolution shocked the German protestants, who saw it as a severe setback to their construction of God's kingdom. This phase is crucial to Lehmann because he argues that it was the first instance that Protestants developed a disdain toward French enlightenment, while holding themselves, as Germans, in higher regard.
The third phase was within the period of 1848 and early 1860s. In this phase, the German Protestants were appalled that revolution was happening again, especially on their own soil. This resulted in a surge of domestic missions, believing that the reward would be social change...
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...tively small minority, that only opposed it because they viewed French ideas of freedom as oppressive compared to what they considered as true liberty in their respective states. Kohn argues that only when Napoleon started to invade other countries and directly influence Germany, is when Germans slowly started to gain some notion of national consciousness, though this patriotic sentiment was very rare. He argued that only the smaller states looked for political unification for protection, but the larger states still had no longing for unity and wished to live in peace.(Content footnote about prussian peace treaty). This article is a good place to start when looking at the conditions before German nationalism. It documents the lack of national awareness in the German States, and reinforces the argument that German nationalism crystalized during the Wars of Liberation.
The Second Great Awaking consisted of new applications of religion that deviated from rationalism, which sparked promotion of democracy and freedom. The message of salvation rather than condemnation was evident in this movement as spoken by Charles G. Finney. He sought to remove sin from reformed churches and organize sinners to unity and freedom (Doc B). This practice showed the crucial democrati...
Hagen W (2012). ‘German History in Modern Times: Four Lives of the Nation’. Published by Cambridge University Press (13 Feb 2012)
When Otto von Bismarck was recalled from Paris to become Minister-President of Prussia in 1862, German nationalism was already more than 40 years old. First apparent in the opposition to Napoleon´s occupation of the German states, national feeling grew into a movement after 1815. This feeling was encouraged by a growth of interest in German literature and music and by increased economic cooperation between the north German states. By 1848 it was strong enough to make the creation of a united Germany one of the main demands of the revolutionaries. Otto von Bismarck was a Prussian patriot who inherited the traditions of love of king, army and country from his family.
Germany. Nationalism is a complex concept that can be viewed as both a unifying and a disunifying force, depending on one's perspective and background knowledge. On one hand, it can bring people together who share a common bond based on a single "nationality" or ancestry. Those who view nationalism as a unifying force often reject loyalty to a monarch, instead choosing to remain loyal to their fellow citizens. On the other hand, some people see nationalism as a disunifying force because it can disrupt efforts to restore the old order before the French Revolution.
Reading the book “The Trial of Tempel Anneke” raises interesting questions, and details the clashing of anxieties that took place within Early Modern German communities, both in economic and religious justification. Some central questions posed by myself is proposed below.
Religion of the protestant church was an important factor in the pre-war timeline culture. The Second great awakening, which occurred in the 19th century, greatly impacted American society. This new point of view in terms and matters of faith led northerners to cherish the theory of Christian perfection, a theory that in fact was applied to society in an attempt to eliminate social imperfection. On the other hand, southerners reacted by cherishing a faith of personal piety, which focused mainly on a reading of the Bible; however, it expressed very little concern in addressing society’s problems.1
...m what they lacked in the Catholic Church, the knowledge of what made them Christians. Just as the Word of God is a guide to mankind, Luther guided 16th century Germans to the true Christian path with his many revolutionary reforms.
What happens when people start to break away from the entity that bound an entire civilization together for over a thousand years? How does one go from unparalleled devotion to God to the exploration of what man could do? From absolute acceptance to intense scrutiny? Sheeple to independent thinkers? Like all revolutions preceding it, the Protestant Reformation did not happen overnight. Catholics had begun to lose faith in the once infallible Church ever since the Great Schism, when there were two popes, each declaring that the other was the antichrist. Two things in particular can be identified as the final catalyst: a new philosophy and simple disgust. The expanding influence of humanism and the corruption of the Catholic Church led to the Protestant Reformation, which in turn launched the Catholic Reformation and religious warfare.
The phrase "a lesson to be learned and a tragedy to behold" has been indelibly attached to the Holocaust that to think of it in any other way is thought to insult all those of the Jewish community who lost their lives to the attempted genocide of their race by the Nazi regime. Despite such brevity attached to learning lessons from the Holocaust one must wonder whether the lesson has actually been learned or if people will continue to repeat the mistakes of the past. Angela Merkel, the current German Chancellor, has stated that the German experiment towards multi-culturalism has failed, those who wish to migrate into the country must learn the German way whether it is the language they speak, the culture they have or the very religion they hold dear . Such sentiments seem to echo those of the former Third Reich which held the German way, the Aryan way, as the only path to which people should attempt to pursue. While this paper is not trying to vilify the current German government nor is it trying to compare it to the Third Reich, the fact remains that the steps their government is taking fall uneasily close to that of their vilified predecessor. The fact is though, the German government is merely following through with the popular sentiment of its citizenry who believe immigrants coming into the country disrupts the German way of life and all attempts to live side by side in peace have failed. Despite being a predominantly Christian nation who supposedly follow the way of Christ, to hear them say that makes one wonder whether their claims truly reflects their deeds. It is from this situation that the essay of Eckardt and its view that the Holocaust is a "Christian Problem" becomes relevant to what is happening in the world today.
Nationalism was viewed in so many different ways by so many different leaders and society. Many conflicts and wars were a long term impact on Nationalism, but some conflicts were a small impact on Nationalism. The Frankfurt Constitution was written and published and also is a document of Germany History today. The article “On the Duties of Man”, by Giuseppe Mazzini and how the map of Europe was redrawn, which was a huge impact on Nationalism. Romanticism was another huge impact of Nationalism, with many changes that was made from artist and how their paintings became more realistic and how everyone had different views on artist’s painting.
The protestant reformation of 16th century had both: immediate and long term effects. Thus, we can see that it was a revolution of understanding the essence of religion, and of what God is. The protestant reformation is said to a religious movement. However, it also influenced the economical, political and social life of people. The most global, short term effect of the reformation was the reevaluation of beliefs, and, as a result, the loss of authority of the Holy Roman Empire. The long term effects were: the emergence of new heretical movements, the declining of papacy, thus the reevaluation of people’s view on the church and life values.
Fulbrook, Mary. A Concise History of Germany. 2nd ed. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Print.
German immigrants were deeply religious people. In fact many immigrants came to America to escape religious persecution in Germany. The immigrants, however, splintered into many different religious groups. Some of the most common German religions were Lutheran, Catholic, and Free thinkers. (# 3 pg. 45) Many of the new German Americans exerted great energ...
From the 1790s to 1814 French troops successively conquered and occupied the area that later constituted the German Empire. French domination helped to modernize and consolidate Germany and -- toward the end -- sparked the first upsurge of German nationalism. In different ways the French emperor Napoleon I helped German unification. It was important that he encouraged many of the middle-sized German states to absorb huge numbers of small independent territories, mostly bishoprics, church lands, and local principalities.
“Bismarck and German Nationalism.” The American Historical Review Vol. 60, No.3 (1955): pg. 78. 548-556.