Suchergebnisse

The long-held view that German liberalism's failures in the nineteenth century presaged Hitler's triumphs has been recently challenged by historians who argue that the setbacks suffered by the liberal movement should not diminish its otherwise positive impact on the course of German history. ; This debate on the liberal movement's legacy invites historians to re-assess previously held assumptions about individuals and events that affected the course of Germany's liberal development. This dissertation proposes to re-assess Emperor Frederick III's contribution to the liberal movement. As crown prince, Frederick maintained ties with prominent liberals and rejected the conservative domestic and foreign policies of Germany's chancellor, Otto von Bismarck. Frederick's marriage to Princess Victoria, the eldest daughter of the Queen of England, strengthened his liberal impulses. But when Frederick came to the throne in 1888, he was mortally ill with cancer, and reigned for only three months. A majority of historians of nineteenth century Germany regard Frederick's untimely death as the swan song of German liberalism. ; Documents recently made available from the Kurhessische Stiftung make it possible to answer the question as to whether Frederick was part of liberal movement's tragic history, or whether he abetted its successes. The documents show that Frederick was a constitutional liberal who fought to preserve the basis of liberal political power--the constitution--from subversion by the conservatives. At the same time, however, he only condoned liberal reform on the basis of the constitutional status quo, and rejected his wife's wish to see the adoption of British political institutions in Germany. Therefore, while Frederick contributed to the survival of liberalism as a political force, it is also true that many historians have exaggerated the extent of his liberal views. ; Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-11, Section: A, page: 4050. ; Thesis (Ph.D.)--Brown University, 1992.