Lucius Hudson Holt

In providing a history of Europe in the half-century before WWI, the authors focus on the ambitions and methods of the Prusso-German state. In the 1860's, Prussia was the least of the five Great Powers in Europe. At the close of this period, Germany became the greatest military power the world has ever known. The nation was unified and led by an "unscrupulous and aggressive minority" which disregarded its own constitution. Between 1962 and 1890, when he was forced to retire, Bismark injected a policy of "blood and iron" which he himself admitted was unscrupulous and dishonest. [3] The succesful results, however, made them appear necessary and proper. These methods were emulated by German diplomats for the next three generations. This volume covers the (1) coalescence of the German states, (2) maintenance of German unity by internal policies and diplomatic hegemony, (3) the responsive formation of a defensive coalition, (4) with the Great War as the "inevitable" result [5].… (altro)