Feudalism In Siegfried

To answer the midterm essay assignment I will detail my view of the Sonderweg thesis. I will then offer my opinion on the relationship of Sonderweg within the timeframe of Imperial Germany. I will summarize the thoughts of two historians who I believe to have an impressive influence on the debate of the Sonderweg theory: Wehler and Blackbourn. My essay will include a description of German character and how it impacted the perpetuation of the Sonderweg thesis, and the role of the “elites” in doing so as well. In conclusion, I will give my impression as to the influence that Imperial Germany had on the rise of Nazism within the context of the Sonderweg thesis.

This paper deals with ways history can be interpreted and influences different interpretations have on society and individuals. This is explored through

In reading a Little History of the World by E.H. Gombrich you realize that history seems so much less complicated when you are the one standing back and reflecting on the past. You realize how easy it is to often forget that every single new idea, religion and war was a struggle that lasted generations upon generations. History is more than just a page or a story, its our account of the world. That goes to show how short life and history is, you realize that history is always repeating, war after war, peace then war. There are good and bad periods in history and its up to us to learn from them. In a way history is much like a human being it goes through stages, learns about life, and has inner struggles or wars about their ideas and their beliefs.

In Jamaica Kincaid’s essay, In History, she describes the idea that when history is put into a “one size fits all” perspective, it is immediately inaccurate from someone else’s perspective. People are actively contributing to their own ignorance when it comes to history by blindly accepting

Within Germany, a country torn between the rise of a totalitarian party that determined a superior race, Nazism, and the survival of the oppressed, young Germans face a test between a sense of self and society. Individuality would be suppressed within this new type of society, and being different would be the deadliest obstruction to life. The violations of the rights to life, religion, and speech are relived through the stories of the German youth that lived through this haunting time, whose name would be tarnished in their struggle to survive. In their fight, their morals would be challenged and influenced until the Nazi regime ended, and the violation of human dignity would leave them wondering if life was worth living after all. The Nazi Party grew under its leader, Adolf Hitler, which struggled not to use violence against those that disagreed with their views, starting with armed groups known as the Strum Abteilung, who pledged to be ready to sacrifice their life in the aims of the Nazi Party and absolute loyalty to their leader. Their cruel intolerance began by their strong nationalism and their hatred of democracy and communism, and they gained power through the economic depressions around the world, controlling the media by instilling fear and propaganda that influenced a strong belief in their leaders. This belief in the leaders would soon seem to override Church influence when the official body of the Church failed to do anything significant

She carries the audience through her argument in a logical sequence. First, she makes her claim that student do not know history and explains her reasons (250). She then elaborates on what history students are taught and what exactly is wrong with the methods by which they learn (251). After this, she explains the job of a historian to the reader – how historians confront primary sources to “make some sense of what once happened” (252). To end the article, Simon describes how students can better learn history through exploring primary sources (253). This structuring and organization helps the reader to understand and to believe Simon’s

Germany’s fate was changed on April 20, 1889, the day I, Adolf Hitler was born to German official, Alois and my dear, Klara Hitler. Little did they know of what a miracle that had blessed them that day. My destiny was decided for me every time my father lectured me about the abhor Jews, taking up our German property, and beat me for the childish mistakes I made. I realized my destiny was to punish the faults in our once perfect nation. My father’s strict upper hand was not the only contribution to my great plan. At the age of sixteen, I left my home to pursue my dream of becoming an artist. I enrolled myself into the Viennese Academy of Fine Arts. The vile Jews in charge of the school denied me acceptance into the school. I spent

The reign of Adolf Hitler and his actions were absurd and evil. However, the investigation and acknowledgement of his reign is important for the historical values. It is important to study the causes and effects of how an evil leader gained his perspectives and possibly prevent any future leader from committing any crimes against humanity. This essay will focus on the historical works Richard Wagner and how he influenced Adolf Hitler in his reign during the Third Reich. The research question of this essay is, “To what extent did Richard Wagner’s works influence Adolf Hitler’s views during his reign of the Third Reich?”

Karl Lueger’s, mayor of Vienna, command over the masses through rhetoric and sensitive emblems were the rallying point behind which Hitler was able to gain power over the Nazi’s and keep the people inspire with parades and a sense of patriotism entwined with spirituality. 20. Adolf Lanz Ostara was the work that instilled in Hitler an antisemitism and belief of entitlement of the Aryan race. 21. Wagener’s portrayal of an artist as a misfit from the bourgeois society who can only depend on himself while only pushed forward by the desire to control and manipulate inspired Hitler’s patterns of leadership.

History can be an intricate and laborious subject to teach and learn. James W. Loewen, author, historian, and sociologist, is the perfect example of someone who appreciates the subject in all aspects, but knows how underestimated it is. As he says in Lies My Teacher Told Me, “Our educational media turn flesh-and-blood individuals into pious, perfect creatures without conflicts, pain, credibility, or human interest” (Loewen 11). Throughout the book, he further elucidated the idea of that quote by introducing particular topics that deserved more details and acknowledgement. Loewen argues with enough reasoning from numerous textbooks that the writers aren’t involving all facts that should be included to inform the students. Nearly all points

With our history, perspective is key. When reading about a certain speech or event it is important to make sure you have a reliable source. Sometimes primary sources are scarce, so secondary sources will be needed. Sometimes the sources can clash with each other, making it hard to tell what is true and not. Different perspectives of historic events can dampen understanding of the true message given when personal bias and dim perspectives are applied. Our history is being influenced by secondary sources rather than the real message of the primary source.

His constant references back to Friedrich’s painting allows a person to have a visual understanding of what he is expressing about our relationship with history, which is best if there is “detachment from- or if you prefer, elevation above- the landscape that is the past, so it also requires a certain mastery” (7). Furthermore, Gaddis mentions, "history is arguably the best method of enlarging experience" (9) and "what historians do... is to interpret the past for the purposes of the present" (10).

Theodore Fontane’s novel Effi Briest provides a glimpse into a pre-World War I Germany that few other books would be able to. Fontane narrates some of the most controversial issues of his day in the book, including religion, the aristocracy, and politics in the book. Following the world of high-class families at the end of the Biedermeier era, Fontane allows the reader to be given a historical context for how the events of pre-war Germany unfolded. Using Effi Briest as a source of analysis, new context for the role of religion in the upper-class of German society, insights into the social structure of this pre-war German culture, and an understanding of the political and military devotion for many title-bearing individuals toward the onset of the First World War.

The rise and subsequent take-over of power in Germany by Hitler and the Nazi Party in the early 1930s was the culmination and continuation not of Enlightenment thought from the 18th and 19th century but the logical conclusion of unstable and cultural conditions that pre-existed in Germany. Hitler’s Nazi Party’s clear manipulation of the weak state of the Weimar Republic through its continued failure economically and socially, plus its undermining of popular support through the signing the Treaty of Versailles all lead to the creation of a Nazi dictatorship under the cult of personality of Hitler. This clear take-over of power and subsequent destruction of any

Since the unification of Germany in the late 19th century, attitudes of nationalism, Prussian militarism and expansionism saturated German society. As one can clearly see in the