German Problems and Personalities

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sarolea, Charles, 1870-1953

Contributor:

Sorel, Albert, 1842-1906

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"German Problems and Personalities" by Charles Sarolea is a historical account written in the early 20th century, specifically during the tumultuous period surrounding World War I. This work analyzes the German character and the political dynamics that led to the outbreak of conflict in Europe. Through a series of essays and reflections, Sarolea explores German nationalism, militarism, and the ideologies that shaped the nation, including an examination of influential figures like Bismarck and Nietzsche. The opening of the book sets the stage for a comprehensive critique of German politics and society, establishing Sarolea as a keen observer of the international landscape before the war. He highlights Germany's historical trajectory, foreseeing the inevitable clash with other nations due to aggressive expansionist policies encapsulated by the term "Drang nach Osten" (drive towards the East). He stresses the disconnect between the Prussian militaristic ethos and the more artistic and liberal elements of Southern and Western Germany. Sarolea's insights provide a compelling perspective on the factors contributing to Germany's isolation and the pervasive sentiments that ultimately precipitated the war, framing it as a struggle between liberalism and despotism. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

Introduction, by the literary editor of the New York "Times"

An American preface [written for the American ed. of the "Anglo-German problem"]

My forecasts of 1906 and 1912

The curse of the Hohenzollern

The German war-triumvirate: Nietzsche. Montaigne and Nietzsche. Treitschke. Bernhardi

Frederick the Great: the father of Prussian militarism

The apotheosis of Goethe

The service of the city in Germany

The neglect of German

Mecklenburg, the paradise of Prussian junkerthum

The German race heresy and the war

A slump in German theology

The German enigma

The tragic isolation of Germany: an interview with a continental statesman

Russia and Germany

The peacemaker of Germany: Prince Bernhard von Bülow

The silence of Herr von Bethmann-Hollweg

The coming revolution in Germany

Via pacis

Appendix. The private morality of the Prussian kings: Frederick William II, the Hohenzollern polygamist, by A. Sorel.

Credits:

Produced by Markus Brenner, Irma Spehar and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

Notes:

Reading ease score: 59.6 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.

Release date is 2010-02-03