Das Kaiserreich transnational: Deutschland in der Welt 1871-1914
Abstract
‘Germany was not an island’ (p. 1). But the idea that Germany's history should be studied, understood, interpreted and evaluated primarly within the framework of a nation state imagined as an entity with well-defined boundaries has dominated much of the historiography on the German Empire. The editors acknowledge that it has never been the sole way of viewing the period between 1871 and 1914, but argue convincingly that it is time for a new approach which places Germany firmly in its global context. They suggest a further innovation: rather than calling this approach ‘global’ or ‘international’, the term ‘transnational’ is designed to embrace the totality of links between individuals inside and outside the Empire's borders. It provides an umbrella for a view of the Empire from a number of perspectives, which include the history of the first globalization as well as questions raised by post-colonial studies. The volume of essays which resulted from this methodological starting point is an excellent first survey of terrain which could be covered in greater detail in the future. It contains empirical case studies and more theoretical or historiographical articles. The latter group comprises Woodruff B. Smith's essay on ‘Weltpolitik’, ‘Lebensraum’, modernization and globalization; Michael Geyer's plea for a comparative history beyond the comparative history of national narratives of modernization with reference to Japan and Germany; and Helmut Walser Smith's survey of the many boundaries submerged in a history which posits national boundaries as all-important.
Cite this
Andreas Fahrmeir (2008). Das Kaiserreich transnational: Deutschland in der Welt 1871-1914. German History. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerhis/ghn012
@article{andreas2008das,
title = {Das Kaiserreich transnational: Deutschland in der Welt 1871-1914},
author = {Fahrmeir, Andreas},
year = {2008},
journal = {German History},
doi = {10.1093/gerhis/ghn012}
}Citations in this library
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