Under Bismarck, the German states were unified into a nation with more centralized power and greater unity among the different ethnic states. Though there was general unity, divisions became more evident in aspects of life, particularly the cultural divide of the Bourgeoisie and working class, and even between the unskilled and quasi-skilled laborers. The Bourgeoisie began to move towards apparent cultural enlightenment by having cultural elements, such as going to the opera or botanical gardens, become a part of their everyday lives. They found the need to not only be bourgeois by social standards, but also by the way they lived their lives... "I don't drink and gamble but engage in cultural activities, and therefore I am part of the Bourgeoisie and hang out with others who do the same." This separated them from the working class because they saw them as a burden to society while they were the ones who were enlightened and important to society. With the onset of industrialization, we also see a divide between semi-skilled and unskilled laborers.
Religious issues emerge as the battle between reformist movements and Orthodoxy rages as society grows more secular. With the onset of scientific reasoning, citizen became skeptical of religion as an absolute faith. Repressive laws are removed against the Jewish faith allowing them to be a revered member of society more so than while they were oppressed. Similar to the way the Bourgeoisie integrated cultural elements into their life, Protestants shifted towards cultural Protestantism which integrated religious elements into their daily lives. As this occurs, Catholics achieve a "victory of Orthodoxy" bringing them closer to the Roman church and more separated from their Protestant counterparts.
In short, though Germany had become a united nation, divisions inside the nation were still very evident between classes and religions.
I agree that Germany was a divided nation that wanted and waited for unification but they were not able to obtain it. Their divisions could never resolve themselves concerning class and religion, which is very similar to today's culture. I believe that Bismarck was a large reason unity could not be accomplished in Germany. He was a very gifted leader in some ways but I feel that he never lived up to his promises. While he promised the classes their desires, which kept them at bay, he never delivered. There is only a certain amount of patience a person can have until he is fed up, which happened with Bismarck. He spoke of great plans that he promised in the future, which made him a great leader at the time but that quickly diminished, creating a divided country.
ReplyDeleteYou raise an excellent point and one that contemporaries were very much aware of. Many Germans at that time feared the 'partial' or 'incomplete' unification of their nation. While the borders had been defined, those living within and without were not necessarily happy with them. Furthermore, many groups, especially Liberals, felt that unification was precarious and that internal threats such as Catholics, Social democrats and the Polish (and other) minority still posed a serious threat to the nation. Hence the notion of 'negative integration' in which persecution of minorities served to unify and solidify the 'Germanness' of the majority.
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