Since this is the last blog of the semester I thought I'd talk about something that unified many of the events we've discussed in the course. For the last 65 years in West Germany and the last 20 in East Germany has been a modern, peaceful, and prosperous nation. This stands in sharp contrast to the majority of the time we've discussed in the course. From the time of Bismarck through World War II, Germany was defined by war and issues of hte causes and blame for its aggression have been the focal point for much discussion on German history. However in the success of modern Germany I feel imporatant lessons can be learned.
After World War II the allies did not punsish the German people and rebuilt it along with otehr allied nations who had been decimated by the conflict. This stood in sharp contrast to the punitives measures of Versailles, and the reparations the Germans had imposed on the French after the Franco-Prussian War. Each war had led to another, and each conflict had led to even greater tension in Europe. However this last time it was different. Traditional enemies were able to reconcile their differences, and Germany was able to rebuild its economy with help. The victors had offered an olive branch and it was taken.
I feel this is an important lesson and not an unprecented one in history either. A similar event happened in the Concert of Europe after Napoleon's defeat which also led to a long period of peace after a time of great turbulence. Sometimes blame doesn't work. So as we continue to assess who was responsible for the rise of the Nazis, who caused World War I, or what about Germany made it possible for the Holocaust to occur, let us ask ourselves if that is really what is important. There will always be war and there will always be conflict. Nations will always have enemies as well. Maybe the lesson we should really look to is what caused the lasting peace and prosperity which has occured in Europe in recent times. If you look at European history the 65 years of peace the European powers have enjoyed really is unprecedented.
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I admire your comment regarding the lasting peace following World War II. There should be less emphasis on whether it was the fault of ordinary men for succumbing to the Third Reich or the fault of ordinary Germans. The anti-Semitism that had been prevalent among the people for so many years is not a lucid characteristic of modern Germany. I feel this, as well as over six decades of peace, is a profound outcome considering the atrocities committed in WWII.
ReplyDeleteYou know it will be interesting to see what happens through this peace. I will not question that Germany has been fairly stable for the last 20 or so years, but it I cannot help but wonder what will happen in the near future. This has to be considered because of what you mentioned before: German history has always been about war and conflict so one has to, I think do a bit of a balancing act when assuming it’s done forever.
ReplyDeleteGermany has still been throwing its power around after the formation of the EU, playing a major role in many policies: the formation Euro specifically. If I’m not mistaken I believe most of the Euro production comes from Germany. It will be interesting to see if they ever have any sort of disagreement with another European nation what will become of it. I’m inclined to think it will lead to armed conflict like it always has, especially if the disagreement is with France. I think if any nation has the ability to rip the EU apart it has to be Germany, especially as Turkey is considered for involvement in the union.
You make some good points, especially about being sincere about rebuilding Europe. The Nazis and Allies alike left it in ruins in 1945, yet we were ready to get the ball rolling as soon as V-E Day occurred. The Allies demanded an unconditional surrender, and the Germans finally accepted. Yet, the Allies took a different approach and really tried to get Europe back to normalcy as quickly as possible. I think this is the reason why there has been peace in Europe for so long following the war. You are right to say that there was peace in Europe for 65 years, but at the same time, that does not mean hostilities disappeared. During the Cold War, global nuclear war could have broken out with a simple provocation or misunderstanding. However, both sides realized that was not the way to lead the world. You are definitely correct in saying that war will always be a part of the human existence, and we will always have to figure out a way to conclude them. WWI was closed out to humiliate the losers. We learned the lesson of where that gets the world; WW2 was unprecedented and well worse than the first. Yet how Europe was rebuilt and normalized was definitely a great achievement.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a well developed, and highly relevant idea for life in the 21st century. You touch on a valid point by referencing the many wars and conflicts Germany have defined Germany over the past centuries. I agree completely with what you have said about not placing blame as answer to problems. Even though it may be the easy and most rational response, it is not the wisest. In a world that is still war-fighting, albeit on a scale much smaller than we saw in the two world wars, it would benefit mankind if we learn from the lessons of Germany, and do everything in our power to facilitate peace.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! The decision that the Allied powers made to move forward towards peace and stability in Europe as opposed to punishment for war crimes allowed the whole world to enjoy peace and improve national relations world wide. I do think that though Europe enjoyed military peace, there was political stability. The Cold War and the Berlin Wall created two elephants in the room which continually created the threat of an explosive nuclear World War III. Policy changed in hopes of defusing these threats ultimately resulted in the fall of the wall and an end to these threats that clearly could have decimated our world.
ReplyDeleteAn excellent post that addresses one of the major problems in German history: the seeming unending emphasis on its 'failures' as opposed to its successes. Certainly there is much to be said for the efforts of Adenauer and other integrate Germany into a larger European community and specifically to establish better relations with France. As other posters have pointed out, Germany does occupy a unique position in Europe, both geographically and economically, that requires consideration. However, your emphasis on the post-war period points to a new direction in German historyand reminds me of an argument made by George Steinmetz who asserts that perhaps the notion of Germany's Sonderweg (or special path) should be applied to the post-war period. In Steinmetz's view, Nazism is the development that created a ‘special path’ for the history of Germany, rather than the product of that special path.
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