Changes in the general trends of religion following the unification of Germany are lucid.
Unification led to the advancement of Judaism in Germany. Gradually, Jews would become more able to advance in society and are ultimately free to move up the social ladder. In time, Jews would become symbolic for social progress and modernity.
On a different note, religion was getting questioned by the rest of society. German culture was becoming more and more secular, as religion was now officially being challenged by the beliefs and studies of science. Overall, attached to religion is the question/ concern of whether one's faith will progress.
At the same time, some individuals felt alienated from their faith. Protestant workers, for example, truly felt as if they were in a separate class (possibly because of the social divide and changes in family life).
My question is, did the liberal ideas of the revolutionaries leading up to the unification of Germany play a major role in affecting the general views and trends of religion? Or, was it just partly a result of the general conflict between the reform and the orthodoxy?
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Given the advancements in communication, was a revolution possible?
Although the "revolutionaries" of this chapter of German history were forward-thinking in their efforts to unify Bavaria and become a nation, can one site a lack of compromise between both sides of revolutionaries as the primary cause of failure?
The radical, university-educated liberals of the 1830s wanted change. They strove for a new, more democratic order and wanted more participation within the government. Still, they were not open to universal suffrage, questioning whether the public is mature enough to vote. Also, despite their desire to change the state, many of these individuals work for the government.
Furthermore, radicals and liberals were divided in their methods of gaining momentum. While liberals wanted more association with the democratic process, radicals were ready for a government that was by the people, for the people. And, while liberals were nervous in attracting attention, radicals were anxious to organize full-on protests in the streets.
Collectively, one can blame the failure of Germany's would-be revolution in the nineteenth century on the divisions among the revolutionaries, not forming specific goals to lead to the unification of Germany, religious conflict, and the unspecified role of the middle class. However, given the great influence of technology on communication (i.e. newspapers and telegraphs that brought news regarding the success of the French revolution), a revolution was possible.
Given the advancements of communication, had the liberals and radicals sat down to make compromises and lay down specific goals, could Germany's unification have happened as a result of these revolutionaries?
The radical, university-educated liberals of the 1830s wanted change. They strove for a new, more democratic order and wanted more participation within the government. Still, they were not open to universal suffrage, questioning whether the public is mature enough to vote. Also, despite their desire to change the state, many of these individuals work for the government.
Furthermore, radicals and liberals were divided in their methods of gaining momentum. While liberals wanted more association with the democratic process, radicals were ready for a government that was by the people, for the people. And, while liberals were nervous in attracting attention, radicals were anxious to organize full-on protests in the streets.
Collectively, one can blame the failure of Germany's would-be revolution in the nineteenth century on the divisions among the revolutionaries, not forming specific goals to lead to the unification of Germany, religious conflict, and the unspecified role of the middle class. However, given the great influence of technology on communication (i.e. newspapers and telegraphs that brought news regarding the success of the French revolution), a revolution was possible.
Given the advancements of communication, had the liberals and radicals sat down to make compromises and lay down specific goals, could Germany's unification have happened as a result of these revolutionaries?
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