A History of Modern Germany, Volume 2: 1648-1840
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Book Overview
This second volume of a three-volume reassessment of the last five centuries of German history covers the two centuries from the crucial aftermath of the Thirty Years' War to the eve of the revolution of 1848-49. Dealing with the growth of absolutism, the author traces the founding of the Hapsburg empire and the rise of Bradenburg-Prussia, culminating in the conflict between Maria Theresa and Frederick the Great. Professor Holborn explores the impact of the French Revolution on Germany, its part in the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire, and the subsequent reorganization of the German states. In his section on the Congress of Vienna, he shows the struggle between the conservatism of Metternich and the incipient liberal and national movement. Students of German history will appreciate the attention given religious, intellectual, and social developments, colorfully presented in chapters on Baroque civilization and the age of Kant, Goethe, and Beethoven.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0691007969
ISBN13:9780691007960
Release Date:December 1982
Publisher:Princeton University Press
Length:558 Pages
Weight:1.70 lbs.
Dimensions:1.5" x 6.1" x 9.2"
Customer Reviews
2 ratings
Excellent Series on Modern German History
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
Professor Holborn's masterful trilogy of Germany history begins with the Reformation and ends with Hitler's defeat in 1945. There are no footnotes, endnotes, or even a bibliography as Holborn writes in the style of a nineteenth century historian drawing upon his "life time of learning". Holborn covers every major event in modern Germany history from the Reformation to German unification. Holborn also gives interesting and detailed descriptions of major political and military figures. The sections on Bismarck, Gustav Stresemann, and General von Schlieffen are particularly fascinating. Holborn's commentary on who caused World War I and the effects of the German railroad system on the national character are excellent as well. Purchasing the series is highly recommended as Holborn makes reference to prior books of the series. If you are looking for a one-volume history of Germany from 1866-1945 Gordon A. Craig's "Germany, 1866-1945" is highly recommended.
The Most Comprehensive German History Trilogy
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
I saw Mr. Holborn's books on the shelf in a bookstore almost two years ago and I purchased Part III (1840-1945). After I completed that, I immediately went back for the other two, working my way backward. This series has a great deal of valuable information on German social, cultural, economic, political and military history from Roman times through the Reformation, the Thirty Years War, Austro-Prussian rivalry from 1704-1866 for German hegemony, the Napoleonic era and the wars of the French Revolution, the Holy Alliance and the failure of the Frankfurt Assembly, the policies of Bismarck and the forging of the Second Reich in 1871 after victories in wars against Denmark, Austria and France and the constitution of the German Empire. Holborn also delves deeply into the period between 1871 and the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, placing blame squarely on German shoulders where applicable. The postwar era and the Nazi rise to power in 1933 are studied deeply and critically, as is World War II and its immediate outcome. If you only buy one German history series, this is the one to get.
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