Nationalism in Germany, 1848-1866: Revolutionary Nation - Paperback

by Mark Hewitson (Author)

Mark Hewitson reassesses the relationship between politics and the nation during a crucial period in order to answer the question of when, how and why the process of unification began in Germany. He focuses on how the national question was articulated in the public sphere by the press, political writers and key political organizations.

Back Jacket

How, why and when did unification occur in Germany? In the first full-length study of its kind, Mark Hewitson reassesses the relationship between politics and the nation in the critical decades between the revolutions of 1848-9 and unification after 1866.

This comprehensive, original and insightful text:

- revises traditional accounts of Bismarck's role and concentrates instead on the emergence of political parties and a German public sphere
- questions the existence of a broad shift from liberal to conservative nationalism
- challenges the notion that cultural and ethnic forms of nationalism were particularly pronounced in Germany as a result of late unification
- qualifies the idea of a 'revolution from above'.

Ideal for students and scholars alike, Mark Hewitson offers a fresh interpretation of a formative period in modern German history.

Author Biography

MARK HEWITSON is Senior Lecturer in German History and Politics at University College London, UK.
MARK HEWITSON is Senior Lecturer in German History and Politics at University College London, UK.