History 332:  German History   

History 332 – German History – October 8, 2008  

Nietzsche & his Germany  

Background: the “KAISERREICH”:  

(After 1871, the New Germany was often called the SECOND REICH, that is, the 2nd Empire – based on the tradition that the old Holy Roman Empire was the First Reich; since Germany, after 1871, not only had a “King” but an “Emperor” (“Kaiser”), sometimes Germany after 1871 was also called the “Kaiserreich”).  

  1. The years between 1861 – 1914 were, in some ways, great years for Germany.
  2. Otto von Bismarck had solved the crisis of 1861: the Prussian Landtag demanded some control over the military budget; King Wilhelm I refused and threatened to abolish the Landtag; Bismarck (1) simply ruled without a budget and (2) launched three wars in a row, and (3) organized German Unification.
  3. 1871: German Central Europe was United! True, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was not part of the new Germany, but the new Germany, nevertheless, was a major power!
  4. The Prussian – after 1871 – German army had won three wars in a row!  The military’s prestige is sky-high!  Everyone wants a uniform! The military plays a central role in foreign-policy making.  Critics complain that Germany is increasingly militarist.
  5. The economy is booming!  Germany quickly has Europe’s strongest economy.  Even when a recession hits in the 1880s, Germany’s economy is still strong.  Everyone, it seems, is obsessed with stuff – with buying, selling, having, consuming!  Everyone (almost) seems to have become a thorough materialist!
  6. The new Germany is now a major European State and increasingly a world power.  This is the great age of European Imperialism, so Germany eagerly looks around for territories to dominate.  Germany seizes some lands in Africa, but increasingly, German generals and corporate executives look toward Eastern Europe as the part of the world they’d like to control.
  7. Patriotism is very high.  In fact, Patriotism quickly turns into Nationalism, a kind of ferocious, strutting, “we’re great and you stink!” attitude.  Unilateralism: We don’t need friends and allies! We’re not bound by international agreements!
  8. All this stress on Nation! deeply discourages any sort of individualism and  encourages group-think, and inflexible conformity.  Anyone even a little “different” is suspect.
  9. Scapegoating: Nationalism and Conformity produce an odd  irony: if we’re perfect … why do bad things sometimes happen? Since it can’t be our fault … it must be someone else’s fault.  Who?  Foreigners! Ethnic & religious minorities!  
  10. A “New Right” emerges.  This political force
    • Stresses 100% Patriotism! And a fierce Nationalism!
    • Loves flags, guns, parades, soldiers, and is proud of Germany’s military power
    • Defends the Authoritarian order – top-down rule by King-Bureaucracy-and Army
    • Promotes Imperialism (“Germany needs a Place in the Sun!”)
    • Denounces democrats & minorities
    • Increasing uses Anti-Semitism directly or indirectly (“you know, the only problem we have are all these troublesome minorities … and the worst of them all are, you know, the Jews!”)
  1. Yet: there are plenty of pro-democracy Germans.  In fact, the new Germany is increasingly divided between Authoritarians and Democrats.  Three times, democrats threatened to topple the monarchy – during the days of the French Revolution; then in 1848; then in 1861 – but the monarchy survived.  The King, the top bureaucrats, the Junkers, the Army, the corporate executives prefer a top-down, highly-centralized, authoritarian state.  But, Germany still has plenty of democrats:
    • Trade unionists – German unions expand rapidly; the Social Democratic Party becomes the party of the unions and the working class
    • Political liberals – who call for civil rights and free elections
    • Some intellectuals – who defend free speech
    • Feminists – who call for women’s rights
    • Minorities – who demand freedom “to be different”

These pro-democracy Germanys are a very active and very vocal minority.  Their political voice is the SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY (SPD).  

  1. 1888 – the year of the Three Emperors.
    • Old Kaiser Wilhelm I dies
    • Friedrich III becomes Kaiser (moderately pro-democracy) – and immediately dies of cancer.
    • Wilhelm II becomes Kaiser – he’s young, foolish, noisy, and militantly conservative (Authority! Army! Imperialism! Anti-minorities! Anti-democracy!)

 NIETZSCHE & THE KAISERREICH  

I.                   RE-EVALUATION OF ALL VALUES

·         Why, in Nietzsche’s Germany (1844-1900) is it so hard to “be your own person?”

·         What are the values which Nietzsche finds so repugnant?

·         Where did these repugnant values come from?

·         At least since Frederick William, the Great Elector, and certainly since Frederick the Great, the State (as “Rechtsstaat”) was the focus of Prussian life.  What did Nietzsche think of the State?

·         Do any of these issues sound familiar?  What would N. think of our society?

 

II.                THE DEATH OF GOD

·         The famous philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard (who lived a generation before N.), agreed with N. on the need to “re-evaluate all values.”  Kierkegaard saw religion as a positive force which could help improve values.  N., of course, is very hostile to religion.  Is N. fair to religion?

·         Can you be a religious person, and a “Nietzschean”?

 

III.             THE WILL TO POWER

·         In The Birth of Tragedy, N. wrote about Apollo and Dionysius.  What does he say about both?

·         Why is “will” so important? Does it make any difference what I will?

·         Isn’t all this stress on “willpower” dangerous?

  

IV.              THE UBERMENSCH

·         What does “to be your own person” mean?  Isn’t it selfish to want to “be your own person?”

·         N. thinks its extremely hard to be your own person – why?

·         N. sees art as central to the life of the “New Person” – why is art so important to him?

·         What would the “Űbermensch” be like?  Have you ever met such a peson?

 

V.                 THE ETERNAL RETURN

·         N. doesn’t believe in “Progress;” he doesn’t believe that the future will in some sense be “better” than the past.  Instead, he believes that each person, and each era, must address the same fundamental issues. Personally, for instance, he felt far closer to the Ancient Greeks than to people of his own time.  So: do you believe in Progress?  If each generation has to face the same recurring issues – what are they?

·         The American philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson, shared many of N.’s ideas (Emerson lived the generation before N.).  For instance, Emerson argued that “judgement day” will not come some time in the future, “each day is judgement day!” What’s that mean?

 

VI.              AMOR FATI

·         Most of us rarely take stock of our lives.  Sometimes we do. When we do take stock, we count up our successes and failures, and we pass judgment on ourselves.  Sometimes we’re just complacent, and simply say, “sure, whatever,” when we think about our lives.  Sometimes we’re plagued with regrets.  Most often, we probably avoid the issue entirely.

·         Here’s N.’s question – how can we lead a life so that we “love our fate,” that is, in the end, genuinely love the life we’ve had?





 


 
 
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