Reichstag in Berlin with German flag
It was not very long ago that observers in the West would speak about the “German problem.” After all, Europe’s most populous nation had long been the home of despotic princes, militaristic statesmen, the dictatorship of Adolph Hitler and, for good measure, the totalitarianism of Karl Marx. Yet today, Germany is widely viewed as a model democracy, and even regarded by some as the new leader of the free world.
Charles Ingrao, professor emeritus of history at Purdue University, traces Germany’s governmental evolution. His starting point is the 18th century, a period in which authoritarianism and militarism coexisted with constitutional government, the rule of law, and a full spectrum of Enlightenment-era values—concepts that continued to mark Germany’s path to the present.
Ingrao examines how the supposedly decrepit Holy Roman Empire provided valuable political and cultural infrastructure and why the dreaded Hessians who fought in the American Revolution shared many of the values of both their British allies and the rebellious colonists. He also discusses the ways in which many German principalities contributed to the development of today’s social welfare state, one committed to providing a decent standard of living for its citizens.
