The Spirit of 1914: Militarism, Myth, and Mobilization in Germany

by Jeffrey Verhey

Overview

This is the first systematic analysis of German public opinion at the outbreak of the Great War. Jeffrey Verhey's powerful study demonstrates that the myth of war enthusiasm was historically inaccurate. He also examines the development of the myth in newspapers, politics and propaganda, and the propagation and appropriation of this myth after the war. His innovative analysis sheds new light on German experience of the Great War and on the role of political myths in modern German political culture.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521771375
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	05/04/2000
Series:	Studies in the Social and Cultural History of Modern Warfare , #10
Pages:	284
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.75(d)
Lexile:	1530L (what's this?)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements; Introduction: the myth of the 'spirit of 1914'; 1. Public opinion in Germany, July 1914: the evidence of the crowds; 2. The response to the outbreak of war; 3. The 'August experiences'; 4. The 'spirit of 1914' in the immediate interpretations of the meaning of the war; 5. The government's myth of the spirit of 1914; 6. The 'spirit of 1914' in the discourse of the political parties; 7. The myth of the 'spirit of 1914' in German propaganda, 1916–18; 8. The 'spirit of 1914', 1919–45; Conclusion: the myth of the 'spirit of 1914' in German political culture, 1914–45; Select bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"...this is an innovative work" Holger H. Herwig Canadian Jrnl of His.

"The important of Verhey's book lies, above all, in his analysis of the concept of the "spirit of 1914."...Verhey had written an interesting and important book." Jrnl of Interdisciplinary History

"...indispensable for a deeper understanding of Germany in World War I and following decades...it is admirable in pursuing detailed social analysis and yet speaking to the very largest issues of memory and shifting social consensus." The Historian

"Verhey's superbly researched, convincingly argued case study illuminates the Clausewitzian relationship between popular passion, government policymaking, and military capability." Military Review

"...Jeffrey Verhey's study is an impressive piece of scholarship. If it continues to inspire as much research as it has in the past, we can all be grateful." Central European History

From the Publisher