Enlightened Nationalism: The Transformation of Prussian Political Culture, 1806-1848

by Matthew Bernard Levinger

Overview

This major reinterpretation of Prussian history from the Napoleonic era to the Revolution of 1848 shows how reforms inspired by the Enlightenment ultimately consolidated an authoritarian political culture. The book casts new light on the origins of German nationalism, demonstrating that the competing discourses of civil servants, aristocrats, and bourgeois political activists produced a new vision of a harmonious nation under monarchical rule.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195131857
Publisher:	Oxford University Press, USA
Publication date:	01/28/2000
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Lewis & Clark College

Table of Contents

	A Note on Translation	xiii
1	Introduction	3
Part I	Genesis
2	The Politics of Harmony in Eighteenth-century Prussia	19
3	Invoking the Nation	41
Part II	The Concept In Play
4	A Nation of Aristocrats	71
5	A Nation of Romantics	97
6	A Nation of Revolutionaries	127
Part III	Legacies
7	Experiments in Conservatism	163
8	Toward a Democratic Monarchy	191
9	Conclusion	227
	Notes	243
	Works Cited	277
	Index	299

Editorial Reviews

"This is a thoughtful, original, well-researched, and well-written investigation of a central problem during a critical period of German history. It will be required reading for anyone wishing to understand how Prussia came to dominate Germany."—Tim Blanning, University of Cambridge

"Matthew Levinger's Enlightened Nationalism provides a fascinating exploration of Prussian political language in the first half of the nineteenth century, which astutely captures the specificities of the time. He both reframes the agenda for German historians and poses the important comparative questions."—Geoff Eley, University of Michigan

"In Enlightened Nationalism, Matthew Levinger asks us to rethink the common perception of Prussian history. This very readable book helps us to understand the rise of nationalism in Central Europe in the course of the 19th century and offers surprising new answers to the question of what kind of country Prussia was."—Hagen Schulze, Free University of Berlin

"This is a thoughtful, original, well-researched, and well-written investigation of a central problem during a critical period of German history. It will be required reading for anyone wishing to understand how Prussia came to dominate Germany."—Tim Blanning, University of Cambridge

"Matthew Levinger's Enlightened Nationalism provides a fascinating exploration of Prussian political language in the first half of the nineteenth century, which astutely captures the specificities of the time. He both reframes the agenda for German historians and poses the important comparative questions."—Geoff Eley, University of Michigan

"In Enlightened Nationalism, Matthew Levinger asks us to rethink the common perception of Prussian history. This very readable book helps us to understand the rise of nationalism in Central Europe in the course of the 19th century and offers surprising new answers to the question of what kind of country Prussia was."—Hagen Schulze, Free University of Berlin

"Was there a distinctive German path of modernization? Matthew Levinger presents a stimulating perspective on this controversial question. Prussia's nationalism responded to domination by a foreign power, while seeking to avoid endangering the historical foundations of the country's own political culture. Thus, the Prussian experience becomes an example from which one can learn about developments in the modern world."—Dieter Langewiesche, University of Tübingen

From the Publisher