Social Imperialism and Wilhelmine Germany
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8958354 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ian Forbes (0000-0002-3544-0343, corresponding author), Ian L D Forbes |
| Year | 1979 |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 331-349 |
| Publication date | 1979-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Historical Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0018-246X • E-ISSN: 1469-5103 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0018246x0001685x |
| OpenAlex | W2150185126 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 10 |
In recent times the historiography of the Wilhelmine Reich has clearly reflected the influence of Eckart Kehr and of later historians who have adopted and developed his work. The Rankean dogma of the Primat der Aussenpolitik (primacy of foreign policy) has been replaced by a new slogan, Primat der Innenpolitik (primacy of domestic policy). The resultant interpretive scheme is by now quite familiar. The social structure of the Bismarckean Reich, it is said, was shaken to its foundations by the impact of industrialization. A growing class of industrialists sought to break the power of the feudal agrarian class, and a rapidly developing proletariat threatened to upset the status quo. The internecine struggle between industrialists and agrarians was dangerous for both and for the state, since the final beneficiary might be the proletariat. Consequently agrarians and industrialists closed their ranks against the common social democrat enemy and sought to tame the proletariat, which had grown restive under the impact of the depression, by means of a Weltpolitik which would obviate the effects of the depression, heal the economy, and vindicate the political system responsible for such impressive achievements. Hans-Ulrich Wehler and others call this diversionary strategy against the proletarian threat social imperialism; and this, it is said, is the domestic policy primarily responsible for Wilhelmine imperialism
Agrarian society · Economic history · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Proletariat · Sociology · European history and politics · History · Law
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,05 |
| Citation span | 1983 - 1985 (3) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |