Customer Reviews

The German Empire, 1870-1918 (Modern Library Chronicles)

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Michael Sturmer's The German Empire 1870 - 1918 is the fourth in the very interesting series of books in the Modern Library Chronicles series. This one is a brief, basically narrative, history of the German Empire, much more narrative and less thematically based than the previous editions of this series. It is handled with great precision in the limited space available and will give the reader a basic understanding of the issues surrounding the German Empire. Because of the small size of the format, there will also be many questions in the readers mind but now at least the reader will be able to ask the right questions. This book definately leads to an interest in Germany during this period, both in politics and culture, both of which are touching upon in this little book.

Michael Stuermer has written an informative but concise historical essay on Germany during the time it first emerged as a unified nation and Great Power under Bismarck down to the Treaty of Versailles following World War I. For a book this brief, it is remarkable in its scope, providing character studies of major figures like Bismarck and Wilhelm II, insights into socioeconomic and cultural developments during the period, a good analysis of German politics and political forces, and a useful synopsis of international developments in Europe. For those who lack a background on Germany prior to the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich and are curious about how this period shaped those later times, reading this book should be a quite worthwhile investment. While this book clearly lacks the depth that more advanced readers might be seeking, it should even prove rewarding to them in its attempt to examine the period in a capsulized review.

This excellent book achieves three major points, in addition to serving as a good general historical guide to political Europe in the 1850-1914 period.

First, it provides further evidence of Bismark's political skill and intuitive understanding of how to build a major nation state in the midst of competative neighbors. While his image has traditionally been as a warmonger, this books outlines his true aims and vision as perhaps the greatest leverage-artist of the past two hundred years.

Second, the book articulates well how Germany was created by Prussia from a patchwork of independent and fragmented small states and cities.

Finally, we get a tantalising glimpse of how a liberal, free-trade, democratic Germany might have taken a different path in from the 1890s onwards, given leadership of a similiar calibre. The reader can compare for themselves how, after the "100 hundred years of waste", Germany has now taken that road.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in recent or modern European political history, and in learning the basics of nation-building and the leveraging of power.

For at least some people, the wraith of the Bismarckian German Empire is limited to "Germany was united by Bismarck, it started World War I and lost". There is, at least, more depth to the German Empire of the 19th century than that, and this book is probably the best way to learn about it.

The book itself is short and concise. From the Table of Contents to the epilogue, not counting the index and bibliography, the book is only 134 pages long, so it can be finished in two days easily. The author, Michael Sturmer, describes the political, economic, and military dominance of Prussia in the German Empire, and relates Bismarck's struggle to unify German states that had fought each other for centuries under the flag of Prussia, and how he disguised the Prussian military dictatorship of Germany as a federated empire with the Emperor as head of state. Sturmer also talks about the political and economic ramifications of a powerful, unified Germany in the crossroads of Europe.

But the book has some flaws. As mentioned in a previous review of this book, some political movements and slogans go unexplained, and a slight background in post-Napoleonic and pre-20th century Europe is helpful but not necessary. Some sentences drag on and new German terminology is incorporated into the paragraphs frequently. Reading the key-figures section and the timeline included in the book may be helpful for newcomers to the German imperial time.

Overall, the book is worthwhile for those interested in reading a 134-page article on the German Empire. It may not necessarily be enjoyable to read for some, but it is certainly interesting. As an introduction to the subject it may leave too many questions and for veterans it may not contain enough substance-probably, this book is best left for ones who only wish to refresh their memory on the subject of German imperialism. There are better books on the subject for veterans, but if you are a newcomer and plan on reading further into the topic it is certainly a good place to start.

The German's first unified state, a compilation and tangled array of regional confederacies, unions, monarchies, duchies and principalities that after its unification Bismarck called the German Empire, is chronicled in this short book that covers in moderate detail the major economic, social, and political trademarks of the new state that formed the central pathway of Europe's crossroads.

But let it be known, this book might be geared toward two specific groups: Scholars and students who already know plenty about Germany and its empire, and only wish to refresh their memory about it, and those that know enough about Prussia and know enough German political phrases to understand the compact complexity that is generated by the author, Michael Sturmer.

But beside the fact, the book itself is extremely informative. Equilibrium in late-19th century Germany was only a political facade, and, in the words of the author, was used only to hide what Germany essentially was(a Prussian military dictatorship).
Heterogeneity dominated Germany at this time-people defiantly referred to themselves by their locality and remembering a time when they were one of however many hundreds of independent states that existed after the Peace of Westphalia. But Prussia was dominant in every aspect-population, economy, industry, and military.

The economic power base was split between tariff protectionists and free traders, and Sturmer covers this in detail. Colonialism helped to spread unity in the new Pan-German state(although the French provinces of Alsace and Lorainne were also included in the Empire). The new mediums of the 19th century's later industrial revolutions helped advance Germany to the frontline economically and industrially. Emigration was curbed slightly-no longer were desperate German workers flooding into America as they had before, despite Bismarck's anti-Unionist and anti-Socialist policies.

When it comes down to it, the book is ok. I recommend it, the subject matter is interesting whether you understand it or not, but everyone should at least know the author is German and some of the grammar in the book may not be the pinnacle of perfection. Read it, enjoy it, or don't.

In this concise and very well written book, Sturmer introduces the lay person, the non-expert, to one of the most important periods in German (and, for that matter, European) history.

Sturmer narrates the story of a radical political, economic, and social transformation the Germany went through in less than half-a-century (from a loose confederation of small, largely agricultural, and mostly poor states with traditional, religious societies to a modern, industrialized, prosperous, unified, and dangerously nationalistic superpower).

It is an intiguing story, well told by the author.

I didn't know much about Bismarck or the German Empire leading up to World War I and this is a fantastic, deeply stimulating introduction. Sturmer masterfully explains how Germany went from brand-new nation to prime mover in European affairs and catalyst for WWI in sich a short period of time. His explanation of the origins of WWI is the clearest I've yet read. Bravo!

Michael Stuermer has written an informative but concise historical essay on Germany during the time it first emerged as a unified nation and Great Power under Bismarck down to the Treaty of Versailles following World War I. (I am unsure why the title of the book has it ending in 1914, when it clearly carries forward to 1919--admittedly a minor criticism.) For a book this brief, it is remarkable in its scope, providing character studies of major figures like Bismarck and Wilhelm II, insights into socioeconomic and cultural developments during the period, a good analysis of German politics and political forces, and a useful synopsis of international developments in Europe. For those who lack a background on Germany prior to the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich and are curious about how this period shaped those later times, reading this book should be a quite worthwhile investment. While this book clearly lacks the depth that more advanced readers might be seeking, it should even prove rewarding to them in its attempt to examine the period in a capsulized review.

People who have read some of the books from the Modern Library Chronicels can come to expect a very short history of the subject. The author of each of those books has only a certain amount of space to write about the subject. In those terms the author of the German Empire, Michael Stumer does a poor job. The book is unisnpiring, offers few details and does not lead you to want to read more about the German empire, which should be the main emphasis of these kinds of books.
Is it also sad because the subject of the book, the German empire only lasted some 40 odd years. Yet in the book, we get a short glimpse of its Kaiser, or the architect of the whole Reich, Bismarck. We get few ideas about why the Great War started and the role of the Kaiser. In fact you have to read the book at times slowly because you may miss something important. The author, who is a German Historian, gives very dry review of the history of the times in which the German Empire was intertwined with. Henceforth you get lost in the consequnses that he writes about because you don't know what lead to them.
Not a very good book in the end, as it can be finshed in a couple of hours and in the end you will ask yourself, what did I just read? A good short book to learn about the times of the Second Reich would be Cathy Clay's "King, Kaiser, Tsar" the book is mostly centered on the Geman Kaiser but it gives an overall feel of the times in which he lived and how it affected Germany. Skip this book if you can because you can't get much out of it.

I have work in the publishing industry for over thirty years. I am an avid non-fiction reader. I have written reviews of books mostly for trade journals. This book is so poorly written that it puzzles me why other reviewers would gush over it. It is difficult and tedious to read. It leaves no doubt that English is a second language for the author. It is studded with german political phrases and movements that are not explained and have no meaning to anyone without a previous grasp of the subject. This is not a book for the novice wanting to know more about the formation of modern Germany. I am so happy that I did not buy this book but instead borrowed it from the New York City Library where I will happily return it, and look for something that is better written!