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Blood and Iron: The Rise and Fall of the German Empire Kindle Edition
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Before 1871, Germany was not yet nation but simply an idea.
Its founder, Otto von Bismarck, had a formidable task at hand. How would he bring thirty-nine individual states under the yoke of a single Kaiser? How would he convince proud Prussians, Bavarians, and Rhinelanders to become Germans? Once united, could the young European nation wield enough power to rival the empires of Britain and France—all without destroying itself in the process?
In this unique study of five decades that changed the course of modern history, Katja Hoyer tells the story of the German Empire from its violent beginnings to its calamitous defeat in the First World War.
This often startling narrative is a dramatic tale of national self-discovery, social upheaval, and realpolitik that ended, as it started, in blood and iron.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherPegasus Books
- Publication dateDecember 7, 2021
- File size8857 KB
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Hoyer has written a balanced and hugely accessible introduction to the age when Germany became Germany.” ― Oliver Moody, The Times (London)
“A concise, well-written study, Blood and Iron deftly blends narrative with analysis to set a crucial era in the context from which the German state emerged.”
-- William Anthony Hay ― Law and Liberty
"Historian Hoyer debuts with an accessible chronicle of Germany’s Second Reich focused on its two most important leaders. She makes excellent use of secondary sources and lucidly explains how regional and political differences helped foster the 'internal strife, division and stagnation' that Wilhelm hoped to overcome by going to war. The result is a solid introduction to how modern Germany came into being." ― Publishers Weekly
"Hoyer's beautifully written book is the most accessible account of the Second Reich’s history to date. The historian is thoughtful and dispassionate. The tale is compellingly told. The title, too, is apt; Germany’s history is a story of blood and iron." -- Sean Durns, ― National Review
"Hoyer’s well-researched and well-written book is the best biography of the Second Reich in years. It will undoubtedly become the essential account of this vitally important part of European history.” -- Andrew Roberts, New York Times bestselling author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny
"Hoyer brings this dense period of German history to life with a lightness of touch that complements her impressive scholarship. A deeply satisfying read, highly recommended.” -- Julia Boyd, Los Angeles Times History Prize-winning author of Travelers in the Third Reich
“Hoyer peppers her trim narrative with some lovely frills. The mark of a really good short book is its ability to inspire curiosity. Blood and Iron achieves just that. What this story reveals is how easily governmental institutions can be destroyed when people are led astray by intoxicating notions of a place in the sun. That, perhaps, is a lesson for us all.” -- Gerard DeGroot ― Washington Post
“Superb… Hoyer roots the gathering unity of the German states in a ‘defensive nationalism’ caused by the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century and skillfully unveils how nationalism can come into being out of a sense of comparative inferiority. It’s hard to imagine a better, more up-to-date history of its subject.” ― Kirkus, Starred Review
"Concise and incisive, this sparkling examination of the rise and fall of the Second Reich is an excellent introduction to a crucial period of German history.” -- Tim Blanning, author of Frederick the Great
“An excellent book on the rise and fall of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918 that is packed with detail and illuminating insights. She shows very effectively the changes in German foreign policy after Bismarck’s fall from power, and the more provocative stance of Kaiser Wilhelm’s world policy that contributed to the outbreak of the First World War. Overall, this book fills a gap in our understanding of the Second Reich, and it helps us to understand more clearly the reasons for its failure.” -- Frank McDonough, author of The Hitler Years
"Brisk, thoughtful and thoroughly engaging.” ― Dominic Sandbrook, The Sunday Times (London)
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B08VJJZMWK
- Publisher : Pegasus Books (December 7, 2021)
- Publication date : December 7, 2021
- Language : English
- File size : 8857 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 255 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #120,039 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #25 in 19th Century World History
- #36 in World War I History (Kindle Store)
- #57 in History of Germany
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Katja Hoyer is a German-British historian and journalist. She is a Visiting Research Fellow at King's College London and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Katja is a Global Opinions columnist for the Washington Post and also writes for The Spectator, The Daily Telegraph, Die Welt and other newspapers on current political affairs in Germany and Europe. Her historical essays have featured in History Today and BBC History Extra. She hosts the podcast The New Germany together with The Times' Berlin correspondent Oliver Moody. Her debut book 'Blood and Iron' has been well-received by critics and academics alike. She was born in (East) Germany and read history at the Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena. Katja is now based in Sussex, UK.
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Customers find the book informative and concise. It provides a good overview of developments in Germany from 1871 to World War I. They describe it as an engaging and easy read with clear writing. The narrative is described as compelling and captivating. Overall, customers appreciate the perspective and organization of the book.
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Customers find the book informative and concise. They say it provides a good introduction to German history from Bismarck to World War I. The book is described as an easy read with good information and a great basis for further study.
"Katja Hoyer is a German historian, and her book explains German politics between 1871 and 1918...." Read more
"This book is an easy read with good information. It gets right to the points it wants to make and moves on to the next one...." Read more
"Katya Hoyer pens an important, informative survey history book of Germany from Bismarck to the beginning of World War One...." Read more
"...facts that led to the creation of the German State and the complex interplay of social, political and cultural forces that shaped the German world..." Read more
Customers find the book easy to read and engaging. They describe it as well-written, clear, and concise. Readers mention it's a good summary for anyone who would like to understand the overall perspective.
"...It also had a growing economy with rising real wages, and a literacy rate of 99 percent...." Read more
"This book is an easy read with good information. It gets right to the points it wants to make and moves on to the next one...." Read more
"...The book is very well written and Ms. Hoyer keeps the reader engaged throughout...." Read more
"...A great book for someone looking to get a snapshot of the German Empire without reading multiple books to accomplish it...." Read more
Customers find the book engaging and informative. They say it's a compelling read with great information.
"The author gives us a great narrative of a little understood time in 19th century European development...." Read more
"...Katja’s book is engaging and informative! I can’t wait for here next book." Read more
"Captivating and engaging read with plenty of great information. Well detailed, well argued, and a joy to read." Read more
"I love European history and relish dynamic narratives. This book is for the most part dull and colorless, reading like a textbook...." Read more
Customers appreciate the overall perspective. They find it well-organized and provide a good overview.
"...Her introductory history is broad and sweeping, and provides a good bird’s-eye view, assuming an introduction is what you need...." Read more
"A nice high level over view of the second Riech" Read more
"Fantastic overall perspective, well organized for full comprehension." Read more
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Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2021Katja Hoyer is a German historian, and her book explains German politics between 1871 and 1918. It is fascinating to get a German perspective on this period. Modern Germany came into existence in 1871 after its victory over France, but it suffered defeat and humiliation in 1918. Hoyer provides a clear narrative of what happened in between. When Wilhelm II became Kaiser, Germany began to antagonize its neighbors and this would eventually lead to a major war. Its generals wanted a preemptive war with Russia, but they declared war on Russia, France, and Belgium in 1914. They also ended up fighting Britain, United States, and Italy. Hoyer does not really explain what Germany was thinking or trying to achieve. It seemed on a suicide mission. Everybody else in 1914 wanted peace. Young Britons like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R.Tolkien volunteered to fight what they saw as German militarism.
Bismarck was a Prussian aristocrat who was chancellor of Germany from 1871-1890, he died in 1898. Until 1871 Germany consisted of 39 separate states. It would have been better for Europe had it remained that way. Bismarck had two objectives: to unite Germany and bring Germany under Prussian control. Between 1864 and 1871 Bismarck organized three successful wars against Denmark, Austria, and France. These wars helped create a German national identity. Hoyer claims that the new Germany’s “only binding experience was conflict against external enemies.” Bismarck later found new internal enemies and targeted Catholics, socialists, and ethnic minorities.
Bismarck wrote the 1871 German constitution. The constitution made Wilhelm I, Prussia’s king, the Kaiser of Germany. The Kaiser determined foreign policy, approved legislation, and was the supreme commander of the military. The Chancellor was similar to a prime minister and was appointed by the Kaiser. Wilhelm, I became Bismarck’s puppet. Bismarck was the real Kaiser. Wilhelm I had little interest in governing the country and was easily bullied and manipulated by Bismarck. The problem with the constitution was that it contained no checks and balances on the Kaiser’s power in foreign and military matters. In 1888 Wilhelm II became Kaiser, and Germany became more aggressive and militaristic. Wilhelm was a dangerous idiot. He delegated too much power to his generals who eventually sidelined him.
Most Germans were socially conservative and valued order, prosperity, and the national union that Bismarck had built. Germany was the largest state in Europe in 1871 with a population of 41 million. France had a population of 36 million, Austria 36 million, and Britain and Ireland 31.5 million. By 1913, Germany had a population of 65 million. The Second Reich had universal suffrage, but Parliament could not initiate legislation. Parliament would hold the purse-strings to the governmental budget, including military spending. Germany did have strong progressive elements and developed a welfare state. It also had a growing economy with rising real wages, and a literacy rate of 99 percent.
Hoyer claims that after he united Germany, Bismarck tried to convince other European powers that Germany was peaceful and not a threat. He claimed it had no more territorial ambitions in Europe, although Germany did pick up colonies in Africa and the Pacific in the 1880s. Bismarck worked hard to prevent a coalition from emerging against Germany by keeping on friendly terms with Russia. During his term as chancellor, Germany avoided a major war.
Bismarck was removed by Wilhelm II in 1890. Wilhelm did not want a chancellor, parliament, or ministers to mitigate his power. Wilhelm was initially popular and had big ambitions for Germany. As one of his chancellors put it, Germany wanted “its place in the sun.” Under Wilhelm II, Germany became increasingly assertive on the world stage. Hoyer claims Wilhelm wanted a “unified nation with a strong central monarchy that was world-leading in terms of technological, military and naval power.” He talked about a world empire and seemed unconcerned if a major war came along. Germany’s militarism began to frighten its neighbors. Wilhelm wanted an empire on a par with those of Britain and France. This was a popular ambition within Germany, but his policies divided Europe into two armed camps: The Central Powers of Germany and Austria on the one hand; and the Entente powers of France, Russia, and Great Britain on the other.
Hoyer tries to exonerate Bismarck for the disasters that came later, but he wrote the constitution. It allowed the Kaiser to have too much power and Germany succumbed to war and military dictatorship. By 1916 the German people had had enough of war, but there was no way for them to stop it, even after Russia surrendered in 1917. The German army kept going until its troops started to surrender in droves in 1918.
Wilhelm II is depicted as out of his depth. He believed in the divine right of kings and that he was chosen by God. He believed he could run Germany with a small group of conservative sycophants. Hoyer admits that he was also was a bad choice of character. He did not believe that Germany needed democracy when it had him. Wilhelm was often undiplomatic and upset foreign governments. Professor Margaret Macmillan at Oxford University claims that the British king Edward VII (Wilhelm’s uncle) believed that Wilhelm II was mad. Lord Salisbury, Britain’s long-time prime minister, agreed with him. Due to his poor diplomatic skills, Wilhelm alienated Britain, France, Russia, and Italy. Bismarck had always been cautious about upsetting rival powers, unnecessarily. Austria became Germany’s only ally.
Hoyer acknowledges that the Bismarckian system was “inherently flawed but argues that it did not set Germany upon an inevitable path to war and genocide.” That is debatable. None of Germany’s leaders seem wise or prescient and several were mentally unstable. Wilhelm II, Moltke, and Ludendorf all suffered nervous breakdowns at crucial times. Hoyer claims that Bismarck was a great statesman, but the lack of democratic accountability in the constitution counts against him. The constitution required a competent Kaiser/chancellor. However, Hoyer believes that the German people preferred a strong leader to democracy.
Hoyer’s account of the crisis in July 1914 shows that the Kaiser never expected to be sucked into a serious conflict, which does not excuse him of blame. The buck stopped with him and he appointed the generals. Moltke, who was head of the army was really running Germany in 1914. He was obsessed with Russia, which shared a border with Germany in Eastern Europe. Moltke wanted a war. The generals believed a major war was inevitable and it would be better to fight Russia sooner rather than later. Russia was quickly industrializing, and its army would only get stronger. Britain tried to broker peace but was ignored. The Schlieffen Plan called for a pre-emptive strike against France before turning to face Russia. The Schlieffen Plan made it impossible to localize the war in the East, and the German invasion of Belgium brought Britain into the war. “And so, it was that Germany declared war on Russia on August 1 and on France two days later, even though the latter had seemingly nothing to do with the trouble in the Balkans.” The German army only had one plan, which they had been refining since 1907. It quickly failed. It left Germany fighting a two-front war with France, Russia, Britain, and Italy. Bizarrely, Hoyer claims that most Germans saw the war in purely defensive terms and believed they were the injured party. It is hard to understand their reasoning.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2023When the Holy Roman Empire collapsed before Napoleon in 1806, it left a crazy quilt of German-speaking microstates across central Europe. These little Germanies were vulnerable to French, Russian, and Austrian dominion, but for decades struggled to unify. Their separate traditions, laws, and dialects made working together too difficult. They waited in vain for someone to unify them, until a militant nationalist stepped into the role: Otto von Bismarck.
If your high school World History course resembled mine, Germany largely disappeared from discussion between 1806 and World War I. Maybe an Anton von Werner painting depicting the Empire’s proclamation, or an orphan portrait of Bismarck, but certainly not context. German-born British historian Katja Hoyer steps into the vacuum. Her introductory history is broad and sweeping, and provides a good bird’s-eye view, assuming an introduction is what you need.
Hoyer organizes her history into five long, thematically linked chapters: the years leading to unification, Kaiser Wilhelm I’s reign, the tragedy of Friedrich III and Bismarck’s downfall, Kaiser Wilhelm II’s reign, and finally World War I. She attempts to present Germany’s arc in the most sympathetic terms possible. After all, under constant pressure from outside forces, Germany certainly needed a unified state to protect its people and traditions from trampling.
That sympathy isn’t rose-tinted, though. In Hoyer’s telling, Germany provided a necessary defensive service, but at great price. Bismarck, the consummate national organizer, found the common needs of Germany’s tiny states, and played them together under Prussia’s banner. Those common needs, though, were mostly for defense against Europe’s other empires. Therefore Germany was “unified” mainly by its ability to spot, and defend against, perceived enemies, foreign and domestic.
Note the “domestic” in that formulation. While Bismarck, and his puppet emperor Wilhelm I, definitely protected Germany against French and Russian territorial ambitions, Bismarck also despised change from within. He brought the same fervor to suppressing liberal democracy and nascent socialism that he did to expelling tsarists and Bonapartists. Karl Marx himself was never welcome back to his native Prussia, Bismarck saw to that.
Basically, Germany looked at a Europe dominated by various empires in their death throes, violently lashing out at one another like wounded wolves, and thought: I’ll have that. It wanted a unitary monarch to rally around, and Bismarck gave them that, in Prussian King Wilhelm I. Admittedly, Wilhelm never wanted that power, and happily delegated actual authority back to Bismarck, which suited both men, and Germany overall, just fine.
Unfortunately, some people believed the nationalist mythology of a unitary Kaiser, and young prince Wilhelm was one. Though the old Kaiser’s son Friedrich III was progressive-minded, and might’ve extended democracy to Germany, he inherited the throne already terminally ill, and reigned only 99 days. Then power passed to Wilhelm II, who honestly believed the claptrap Bismarck had sold Germany, and set course to rule single-handedly.
History shows how that ended.
Hoyer describes this history in sweeping, synoptic terms. She spends little time unpacking individual events, and nothing on individual personalities, except for Bismarck, the two Wilhelms, and a little about Friedrich III. Hoyer cares less about the events and personalities which comprise the narrative, and more about the overall social forces driving them. Thus she cites names and places, without always explaining why they matter in any particular situation.
She also avoids topics that don’t play into her core interest in political history. The book includes two orphaned references to composer Richard Wagner, and a brief passage about how Germany’s urban proletariat turned culture into a consumer commodity, but nothing much about cultural forces overall. Similarly, though Hoyer admits religion and secularism played into national identity, she doesn’t unpack them beyond how political parties exploited them.
This book therefore courts an audience not necessarily familiar with German Imperial history. And the history Hoyer provides is the history of the German state, not the German people. Readers already familiar with pre-WWI German history will probably find this book excessively synoptic, and readers who don’t necessarily know Germany, but enjoy deep dives into history (like me) will wish she paused to unpack why exactly this story matters.
Notwithstanding Hoyer’s brevity, this monograph concisely introduces an aspect of history often treated hastily. Bismarck’s intricate political horse-trading, and his heirs’ inability to preserve what he started, have plenty of steam-age drama. If Hoyer doesn’t unpack much herself, she at least introduces enough to let us decide what’s worth a deeper dive. I suspect many English speakers don’t know this corner of history, and we should.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2024This book is an easy read with good information. It gets right to the points it wants to make and moves on to the next one. I Would highly recommend this book!
- Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2024My first review was after reading only a small portion which now was clearly misfocused. Having read other histories of Germany, this is the first time an understanding was provided as to how and why Germany developed into a country that for all its social, economic and political successes, eventually went off the cliff in attempting to be a super power in Europe. It is hoped the author writes a history of Germany between 1918 and the rise of Hitler.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2024A nice high level over view of the second Riech
- Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2022Katya Hoyer pens an important, informative survey history book of Germany from Bismarck to the beginning of World War One. One comes to appreciate Bismarck’s strategies in the unification of Prussia with the other geographic parts of what became the German Reich from 1871 to 1888. In examining German domestic politics, its economic modernization, its foreign affairs including its African settlements, she lays a strong foundation for the advent of Wilhelmine Germany and his assumption of power post Bismarck in 1890 until Wilhelm’s disastrous entry to what proved to be World War One. Neither shrill nor exaggerative, Hoyer’s portrayal of Wilhelm is intelligent and analytical. Her open acknowledgement of her reliance on the histories of Christopher Clark and Hugh MacGregor is admirable.
Regrettably, her publisher, Pegasus Books of New York, does a disservice to the author and her fine work, skimping with two tiny unreadable maps and the few “grey on black” photographs included. A glossary of her German terms would have been helpful as well.
Top reviews from other countries
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MaluReviewed in Brazil on June 23, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Maravilha
Uma leitura interessante
- Roni P.Reviewed in France on February 27, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent book
A well documented, well written book on the German Empire. Katja Hoyer has conducted a historical research of the highest quality.
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Cliente de KindleReviewed in Spain on January 31, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Muy interesante
Muy completo y muy entretenido.
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PinozReviewed in Italy on May 1, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Un piacevole, breve saggio storico
Un saggio sintetico ma di piacevole lettura su un periodo della storia dell’Europa da cui nasceranno le questioni politiche che porteranno alla tragedia della prima guerra mondiale.
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NoraReviewed in Germany on March 2, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Konnte es nicht mehr aus der Hand legen!
Ich als sonst eher nicht historisch bewanderter Mensch konnte das Buch einfach nicht mehr aus der Hand legen!
Die Autorin schafft es, den (auch historisch eher unbedarften) Leser an die Hand zu nehmen und mit durch ein packendes Kapitel der deutschen Geschichte zu führen. Dabei erzählt sie umfassend und gleichzeitig so spannend, dass der Leser ähnlich wie bei einem Roman unbedingt wissen möchte, wie es weitergeht, wie die einzelnen Akteure handeln und was sie aus ihrer Situation machen. Besonders anschaulich sind die immer wieder eingestreuten einzelnen Detailszenen - Momentaufnahmen, mit denen unsere Geschichte fast schon lebendig wird. Diese Momentaufnahmen verpackt die Autorin dann in das große Ganze. Sie zieht immer wieder Schlüsse und Zusammenhänge zwischen dem, was passiert ist und dem, was noch kommen wird. Dabei bleibt sie offen und ehrlich und begründet schlüssig ihre eigenen Ansichten zu bestimmten Themen. Das macht das Buch erstaunlich flüssig zu lesen.
Ich habe viel Neues gelernt über diesen Abschnitt deutscher Geschichte, über den sonst nicht viel geredet oder geschrieben wird. Danke, dass es dieses Buch gibt! Ich hoffe, es folgt eine Fortsetzung.
Nora
Reviewed in Germany on March 2, 2021
Die Autorin schafft es, den (auch historisch eher unbedarften) Leser an die Hand zu nehmen und mit durch ein packendes Kapitel der deutschen Geschichte zu führen. Dabei erzählt sie umfassend und gleichzeitig so spannend, dass der Leser ähnlich wie bei einem Roman unbedingt wissen möchte, wie es weitergeht, wie die einzelnen Akteure handeln und was sie aus ihrer Situation machen. Besonders anschaulich sind die immer wieder eingestreuten einzelnen Detailszenen - Momentaufnahmen, mit denen unsere Geschichte fast schon lebendig wird. Diese Momentaufnahmen verpackt die Autorin dann in das große Ganze. Sie zieht immer wieder Schlüsse und Zusammenhänge zwischen dem, was passiert ist und dem, was noch kommen wird. Dabei bleibt sie offen und ehrlich und begründet schlüssig ihre eigenen Ansichten zu bestimmten Themen. Das macht das Buch erstaunlich flüssig zu lesen.
Ich habe viel Neues gelernt über diesen Abschnitt deutscher Geschichte, über den sonst nicht viel geredet oder geschrieben wird. Danke, dass es dieses Buch gibt! Ich hoffe, es folgt eine Fortsetzung.
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