Frank B. Tipton. A History of Modern Germany since 1815. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003. xxi + 730 pp.s. $65.00 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-520-24050-6; $29.95 (paper), ISBN 978-0-520-24049-0.

Reviewed by Laura J. Hilton (Department of History, Muskingum College)
Published on H-German (September, 2004)

Stepping Carefully and Mournfully through Modern Germany's Past

Bookended by a description of Hans Haacke's depiction of Germania in 1993 and the wrapping of the Reichstag by Christo in 1995, A History of Modern Germany Since 1815 provides an understanding of the ambiguous and fractured nature of the German past. To experience Haacke's work, visitors walked across the uneven surface of a jack-hammered, marble floor, their footsteps uncertain, causing echoes as the fragments moved under their feet. Christo's wrapping of the Reichstag enshrouded the building, which could be viewed as blanket tolerance, but also as "hidden, closed, ominous, concealing some portentous and possibly dangerous secret" (p. 664). Like these two artistic creations, this historical period can be interpreted in multiple ways, leading to intense and complex historiographical debates, particularly the issue of why the Holocaust was organized and perpetrated mainly by the Germans. Tipton portrays these debates openly and forces the reader to form his/her own opinions. As he states in his preface, his aim is not to provide one interpretation, but several, overlapping explanations.

In this book, Frank Tipton provides a multi-faceted overview weaving together political, economic, cultural, social, diplomatic, and intellectual historical strands for a thorough exploration of two centuries of German history. It is not fair to call it a "survey," since its depth and breadth belie this label. Rather, it will be an important foundation for faculty teaching upper-level, undergraduate courses in modern German history, an intense and enjoyable introduction for their students, and an indispensable review for graduate students as well.

Two central and inter-related issues dominate this period of German history. The first is the question of German identity. Who was considered German and who was excluded and why? What, geographically or imaginatively, was Germany? How did German identity change and adapt between the pre-Bismarck era, the Kaiserreich, the Third Reich, the occupation and division, and the reunification in 1990? Who created these identities and by what means? The second is the place of the German past in the larger historical context, particularly the issue of the Sonderweg. Did Germany diverge onto a different and special path? If so, what were its implications and its lessons? If not, why have some historians posited a unique road for Germany as an explanation of its actions? Tipton does not shy away from either of these complex issues; in fact, he addresses them consistently and fairly. With the issue of German identity, he carefully explains how Germans selected some elements of their past to construct their identity and created cultural artifacts to represent their hopes and fears. Tipton bluntly rejects the idea of a German Sonderweg. He states: "a view of German history as moving inevitably along a 'special path' toward an ultimate tragic goal is inappropriate" (p. 22).

Tipton organizes his chapters by generations, which provide for some abrupt endings, but this framework allows him to fully explore his assertion that each generation of Germans created their future while sharing a common set of beliefs. His generations are not merely biological, but also culturally defined. Starting with this premise, Tipton focuses on what each generation saw as the most important or pivotal events, rather than reading the past through the lens of hindsight seeking key elements that led to the rise of Nazism and the Holocaust, as historians who support the Sonderweg have done. He is also careful to place each generation in its larger European and global context, laying out similarities and differences in their development, particularly in terms of modernization, industrialization, and nationalism. This is particularly well done with the examination of what he calls "the uncertain generation," following German unification in 1871. He asserts that this generation's attempt to create a unified German identity depended on selective memory, since it was necessary to ignore or reduce the differences which existed, including the government's attempts to reduce the power of the SPD, Kulturkampf against the Catholics (36 percent of the population) in the south, and the rise of racial antisemitism. The figure of Friedrich List was re-remembered, not as a radical from the 1848 revolutions, but rather as a "prophet" of economic unification and planning. A third strand of evidence is the drive to build monuments and statues to commemorate the German victories in an effort to further simplify national identity.

Another central feature of his organization is to begin each chapter with analysis of one or more cultural artifacts, including paintings, architectural styles of buildings and memorials, novels, speeches, and films. In most cases, the works of art and architecture are reproduced allowing the reader to critique Tipton's explanation. With written works and films, he provides a succinct yet thorough overview, again fully engaging the reader. However, these cultural artifacts are not intended to merely draw the reader into the next topic; they are deftly woven into the major themes of the chapter and often reappear to reinforce one of his main points. For example, the motif of Germania is explored through multiple generations with examinations of paintings by Philipp Veit, Lorenz Clasen and a poem by Ferdinand Freilegrath. In Viet's painting of 1836, Germania ponders the imperial crown with her sword sheathed and in his painting of 1848, she stands, pointedly looking forward with her sword raised in triumph. By 1860, Clasen portrays Germania standing on a cliff, sword at the ready, gazing to the west, to France. Freilegrath's poem, "Hurrah Germania," penned in 1870, depicted her as warlike, urging the Germans onward "To the Rhine" (p. 133). And yet, Bismarck decried the use of Germania as a national symbol, seeing the depiction of the nation as a warring woman as unacceptable.

The examination of historiographical debates is one of the strongest features of Tipton's work. For example, in chapter 12, "Nazi Politics: The Road to War and the Holocaust," he outlines three important contested issues. First, did Hitler pursue a clear and consistent policy toward war and elimination of those "unworthy of life," or did his policies develop haphazardly, in part due to competition between different government agencies? Second, was the war solely driven by Hitler, or did it have more widespread support due to fear of the now Communist Soviet Union and a bitter and highly suspicious France? Third, was the Holocaust rooted in the Germanic past, a result of strong German "eliminationist antisemitism," Hannah Arendt's "banality of evil," or was it due to twentieth-century forces such as modernism and the drive for perfection or virulent and chauvinistic nationalism? Outlining these important debates at the beginning of the chapter will push students to read and reflect on these events in a deeper, more meaningful way, as they seek to ascertain their own explanations.

Tipton's book has two additional strengths, particularly for use in an undergraduate, upper-level course. First are the array of maps, figures, and tables he uses to illustrate important trends and changes, particularly with economic shifts and patterns. For example, in his discussion of the rebuilding of the German economy in the 1930s, he provides charts that explain the level of government investment in Germany and the relationship between government spending and income in order to examine the role played by Hitler's economic policy in reviving the economy. The second is the extensive bibliography of articles and books (all English-language), which appear as general end notes (no specific page references) and are also compiled at the end of the book.

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Citation: Laura J. Hilton. Review of Tipton, Frank B., A History of Modern Germany since 1815. H-German, H-Net Reviews. September, 2004.
URL: http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=9757

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