My Amazon Review of Katja Hoyer's "Blood and Iron: The Rise of the German Empire 1871-1918"

 

Realpolitik Goes Awry

 

Anglo-German Historian Katja Hoyer has written a short history of the Second Reich. The architect of the unification of Germany and the creation of the empire was that master of realpolitik, Otto von Bismark. Bismark was a master of both international and domestic politics. Domestically he forged a union of thirty-nine separate states into a united Germany and while Chancellor after unification he brilliantly played off the liberals against the rising socialist party.  From 1871-1890 he all but assumed the powers of Kaiser Wilhelm I who gave him full reign.

 

Internationally he created the strongest power in continental Europe through his swift victories in three wars. Aside from the animosity of France he maintained excellent relations with Britain, Austria, and Russia and thus the semblance of order was maintained. Although he had no interest in colonies, he acquiesced to German commercial interests in establishing a significant German presence in Africa. However, he assuaged both Britain and France that he had no interest in taking them on in Africa. In Europe he became the “honest broker” during the 1878 Congress of Berlin which averted a Balkan crisis.

 

However, after Wilhelm II becomes Kaiser, Bismark is dismissed in 1890 and there was no one to take his place. Even if Wilhelm II were a wise ruler much of what Bismark achieved could have become undone. Of course, history might have been different if Kaiser Friedrich had not died after 99 days in office. He was a reformer who likely would have avoided the worst tendencies of his son, Wilhelm II. We will never know.

 

After Bismark leaves office, everything seems to fall off the tracks. Internationally Wilhelm II allows Russia to fall into France’s arms and thus Bismark’s nightmare of coalitions becomes very real. Wilhelm II antagonizes Britain with an aggressive naval buildup and the path to war is opened and with Germany wanting its “place in the sun” all of Europe is threatened. Instead of being most everyone’s friend, Germany is perceived as an enemy.

 

Domestically the socialists grow in strength and become harder to appease under the stress of rising military budgets. The center-right leadership fractures and by 1910 the drift is self-evident. The German military fills the vacuum with deadly consequences.

I learned a lot from reading the book, but, in my opinion, there are two real weaknesses. Hoyer underestimates the power of the German economy which began to dominate world trade through its leading position in the new industries of chemical, electrical engineering, and automobiles. The global economy had to make room for Germany and the rising United States and that would obviously create trade tensions. Second, there is not enough on the decision to go to war in 1914. Much has been written about that, but I would have like to get a better understanding of Hoyer’s take.

For the full Amazon URL see: Realpolitik Goes Awry (amazon.com)