Christopher Clarks Preußen-Porträt ist eines der besten Geschichtsbücher, welches ich bisher gelesen habe. Es bringt die Ambivalenz Preußens zwischen Millitarismus und Aufklärung, die so unterschiedliche Persönlichkeiten wie Moses Mendelsohn, Paul von Hindenburg, Immanuel Kant oder Carl von Clausewitz hervorgebracht hat, perfekt auf den Punkt.

Vollständige Review hier: https://www.instagram.com/p/CdpoQjEOHO1

Iron Kingdom

حصلت على هذا الكتاب من متجر قصر شارلوتنبرج في ضواحي برلين، كنت قد حظيت هذا الصيف بفرصة زيارة ألمانيا والطواف بين مدنها لثلاثة أسابيع، من فرانكفورت إلى هامبورغ فبرلين وحتى دريسدن، هذا غير المدن الصغيرة التي كنت أتوقف فيها لزيارة قصر هنا أو معلم هناك.

كانت زيارة ألمانيا حلم من أحلام المراهقة، مع كل تلك القراءات عن الحربين العالميتين، والحرب الباردة، وجدار برلين، كانت ألمانيا والألمان حاضرة دائماً في تاريخ أوروبا الحديث، فلذا لم أقاوم رغبة الحصول على هذا الكتاب الضخم والذي يتناول تاريخ بروسيا وصعودها كقوة أوروبية حتى توحيد الإمارات الألمانية والوصول إلى ألمانيا بشكلها الحديث.

يركز كريستوفر كلارك في كتابه على التاريخ البروسي ويكتب بتعمق عن كل جوانبه، السياسية والاقتصادية والاجتماعية والدينية، متناولاً أهم القادة ورجال الدولة من فريديريك ويلهلم ناخب براندبورغ ودوق بروسيا مروراً بفريديريك العظيم وحتى بسمارك والنازيين، نراقب تحولات بروسيا وتوسعاتها، الصراع بين اللوثريين والكالفينيين، نفهم طموحات فريديريك وحروبه، ثم نتابع دمار بروسيا أمام الجيوش النابليونية، وكذلك الصراع مع إمبراطورية النمسا والمجر على من يكون رأس الأمة الجرمانية، الظروف التي أدت للتوحيد وتبعات الحرب العالمية الأولى والثانية حتى اللحظة التي تم فيها إلغاء بروسيا بعد هزيمة النازيين باعتبارها - من خلال عقيدتها العسكرية- السم الذي ينفث شروره في عروق الألمان، استولى الاتحاد السوفييتي على عاصمة البروسيين القديمة كونغزبيرغ ولازالت حتى اليوم تحت حكم الروس بعدما غير اسمها إلى كالينينغراد وهجر سكانها إلى ألمانيا – تم تهجير 12 مليون ألماني من شرق أوروبا بعد الحرب العالمية الثانية -.

الكتاب رائع ولكنه يحتاج إلى نفس قرائي طويل، من الكتب القليلة التي يمكنني أن أقول أنها أنهكتني.

Prussia’s emergence as a European superpower over the 17th-19th centuries reminded me of Amazon, Facebook or Google. These corporate giants are dominating their industries even though they were nonexistent just a few decades ago. Prussia also set off as a small ‘startup’ when a wealthy Hohenzollern merchant purchased the Brandenburg territory in 1417. Brandenburg was a backward and irrelevant region within the utterly fragmented ‘Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation’. By gradually expanding from this miniature enclave the Hohenzollern dynasty managed to build up a powerful European monarchy in the shadow of and stiff competition with the already well-established British, French, Habsburg or Russian empires. The carousel of history presented the Hohenzollern with plenty of opportunities as well as challenges, occasionally pushing them to the brink of elimination. Prussia reached its zenith under Bismarck when it emerged victorious in quick succession against the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1866) and France (1870). Ironically, the ensuing unification of Germany under Prussian auspices in 1871 implied the beginning of Prussia’s absorption within the more encompassing German national state. The Nazi selectively used those elements of Prussian history and tradition which conveniently served their political purposes. They simply airbrushed away ‘unpleasant’ facts about the Prussian past such as the era of Prussian enlightenment, the emancipation of Jews or the Frederick the Great’s admiration of French and disdain for German culture. This distorted and opportunistic reading of the Prussian past by the Nazi propaganda machine not only had a great effect on the Allies but also significantly influences our current superficial perception of Prussia.

As a fan of dense historical reads, after visiting Klaipeda this year I really wanted to enjoy a deep dive into Prussian history. While this book provided a fairly comprehensive review of this power, it never quite gripped me with its story-telling. It jumps around the timeline quite a bit and spends large sections describing the culture and social aspects without tying them into an overall story as well as I would like as a reader.

The entire time you know where this is heading, to the world wars and the Nazi regime, but the post-unification section is disappointingly short and is written mostly to try and separate this period from the previous 300 years. I found the period from 1600-1830 to be the most interesting in understanding Prussian culture and the unique spot they found themselves in Europe during this time period.

This is an overview of the history of Prussia. I now have a better idea of what it was and what it wasn't. At times, this book is a slog talking about trade agreements and so on. It is very much a historian's book. There is less focus on the people and personalities than I like in my history. Still, it was worth the journey.

I put this book down several times; I had to force my way to the end. Whenever you see the word “magisterial” in book reviews you can safely take it to mean “badly in need of better editing.”

Parts of it were more engaging than others, but Clark tends to overstuff the book with his hobbyhorses, especially concerning the impact of religion on history, which he has already written about extensively elsewhere.

I found myself wanting to know more about two events: the Thirty Years’ War (I can’t believe how violent it was), and the many attempted revolutions in Europe in 1848. It would be interesting to know more about what set them off in such a coordinated fashion, why they fizzled, and how they relate to mass emigration to North America.

A key thing Clark attempts here is to debunk the “special path” theory, which claims that the worst aspects of German history are attributable to rabid Prussian militarism. James Hawes’ (2017) The Shortest History of Germany is an example of such an interpretation.

Basically, Clark argues that this is an over-simplification. Although the “special path” is a caricature, it is a caricature that achieved currency for centuries among many other Germans, Europeans, and North Americans: https://tinyurl.com/bdcr4dv5. Clark over-simplifies in the opposite direction by implying that if any counterexample exists then the “special path” is a false interpretation. He adopts the same view in The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914.

It’s always a somewhat odd experience to read a challenge to the conventional view as your introduction to a subject. Yet what can you do when the traditional view is articulated only in scattered studies of niche aspects and (maybe) an old and dusty volume of questionable value?

Truthfully, I came into this feeling that I didn’t have much of a preconception of Prussia because it wasn’t really an area I know much about. Aside from the world wars I’ve found it hard to find any books on German history. And yet as I read the book I found myself repeatedly surprised. I found myself nodding at Friedrich Wilhelm I’s general assholery, from ruling over a hypermasculine court to tyrannizing his son and heir Friedrich (the future “the Great”) even to the point of forcing the boy to watch as he executed his closest friend (and quite probably lover). That, somehow, was in the spectrum of what I expected to see from Prussians. So much for going in without preconceptions!

But what really did surprise me was how little my vague vision of Junkers with monocles really matched up with Prussia. Friedrich the Great, for example, was a quintessential enlightenment prince. Eternally book in hand, fluent in French and preferring it to his native German (a filthy language not fit for culture), skilled in music and the arts. Friedrich was a good king, by the standards of the time, and he ruled far more than a dusty backwater with no culture beyond the military one. Not that the military wasn’t important. Conscription came early to Prussia and their army was famed for its discipline. But the army did not define Prussia.

So that is the main theme of the book: what is Prussianness and why did it die out? Clark’s conclusion on the former is that there is no real answer. It was a hodgepodge of different viewpoints and ideals with no underlying culture or mythology. Given that, you can work out for yourself the answer to the second question, although having your officer class lose two world wars also helped. Above all, Clark’s Prussia is an artificial construct. Prussia itself was never very important to the kings of Prussia, who were really based in Brandenburg (hence why Germany’s capital is Berlin). Prussia straddled Germany and Poland, so it was never a purely Germanic country as it is often made to sound. And as a collection of territories united only through their king, Prussians didn’t necessarily feel a great connection to other Prussians.

Clark’s take on the German Empire is particularly interesting. In his view, by absorbing the rest of Germany Prussia doomed itself to eradication. There wasn’t really a uniquely Prussian culture and in swallowing up all of Germany the Prussians were swallowed up in turn. Which may account for much of their paranoia and fear of change. And also their transition from a state in personal union with a king that could occasionally promote Polish culture to a national German one which couldn’t by definition. Yet even here, the story of Prussia is not one of eternal militarism and opposition to change. Prussia was actually one of the longest lasting holdouts to Naziism. Prussia defended the constitution better than Weimar did. Yet what was remembered was the Prussia-dominated officer corps and their knee-jerk belief that, as Prussians, they deserved to rule the state. And the Nazis certainly did much to promote the idea of Prussia as a uniquely aggressive and mindlessly bigoted culture (they saw this as a good thing). It hardly comes as a surprise that most states viewed their eradication as a necessity.

That said, I am suspicious that this book is peddling a myth in the same way the conventional “special path” narrative is. While Clark goes out of his way to focus on the liberal elements you don’t expect to see, it’s clear that there must be some of the stereotypical Prussian militarism existing on the side. When elements of it do show up they seems so out of place you’re actually confused. It’s not until we reach the German Empire that we start to see the archconservative officer class. Is that because it wasn’t there before? I don’t think so. My suspicion is that a very different story could be told about this same period without doing injustice to the sources.

This book does what a history book should do: it makes you reconsider your preconceptions and think about the era in a new way. It tells a fascinating story about a culture most English-speakers have little idea of. And it does so in a very readable way.

I really enjoyed this book but it is not for the faint of heart. If you don't have a fanatical interest in history this would be a difficult read. The amount of information in this book, and research done, is staggering and incredibly impressive.

I found that some of the chapters in this book flowed very well, were easy to understand, and quite enjoyable. However others I found difficult to follow without a bit of rereading and googling the definition of words, sometimes multiple times in a sentence, which then required me to reread a bit to get the full context. There is a little bit too much complex verbiage for my taste in some chapters. Although I found this to be more so with the chapters dealing with politics, and it may be just due to the fact that I am less well read on politics than I am on military. I consider myself pretty average on vocabulary so if you're like me, just be aware there may be some difficult parts, but also a chance to push yourself.

To iterate again though, I really enjoyed this book. I haven't read any other histories of the entirety of Prussia (do they even exist?) but I think you'd be hard pressed to find something more comprehensive than this. A brilliant book.

Fascinating or Frustrating?

Iron Kingdom: The Rise & Downfall of Prussia, 1600-1947 by Christopher Clark has been a nemesis of mine for near ten years. I picked this up when I worked in a bookshop in my university days and then read 397 pages where my bookmark remained until I restarted it last month. I had thought all of that time that the style of writing was difficult to follow, even if the content was engrossing. I was confused, I was disappointed, I was deflated. The history of Prussia and pre 1918 Germany is something I am really interested in, this book had won the Wolfson Prise for History and it is an acclaimed bestseller.

However, I recently pulled this from the bookshelf and placed it on the bedside table, a clear status of intent that this book was going to be tackled. I really wanted to. I’d recently finished Clark’s Kaiser Wilhelm II biography and enjoyed the analysis, here this was waiting to be consumed. I’m glad I went back and I’m glad I started again. Maybe in ten years, I’m older or wiser or maybe my mindset or understanding of history has changed, but I read this fairly quickly and I enjoyed it.

Clark’s knowledge is huge, he understands his topic and I found his arguments and examination balanced. Furthermore, an English language book on the topic is invaluable especially when discussing pre-1871 German or Prussian history that doesn’t involve the Napoleonic Wars or Frederick the Great. The book is fast paced and covers, key figures, movements, events and ideologies which shaped the course of the history of Prussia for 350 years. Clark is able to explain why and how things happened and how the culture developed.

Furthermore he has tackled myths around the state (such as it was the Prussian military elite which drove the Nazis to megalomania) which is completely extinct today. He shows how following the defeat of the German Empire in 1918 and the fall of the monarchy created a state which limped onwards to its eventual death in 1947.

My critique of Clark is still there that he is not a fantastic writer (in my opinion there are many others who’s pros flow more effortlessly and coherently), but is able to produce decent work because of the topic he is presenting and the impressive knowledge he has accumulated. I have huge respect for him because of this. However, as I am a better reader now, this book is great read. This is where one has to think, this is frustrating at times as this book is close to being a five star work. In the end, it just doesn’t quite make it.

Prussia weighed heavily on the collective mind of Europe during the 19th and 20th Centuries. My history classes generally blamed the formation of Germany for throwing off the structure of international power in Europe and causing two World Wars. And at the end of WWII, the Western Allies also felt that 'Prussia' was behind Germany's warlike ways and redrew the map of Germany to get rid of the name. Nearly sixty years later, 'Prussia' still brings up stereotypes that lie at the root of current German stereotypes.

Christopher Munro Clark's Iron Kingdom traces the history of Prussia from about 1600 (or, of Brandenburg, just before it acquired Prussia, later known as 'East Prussia'), though its official dissolution in 1947. Along the way, he takes a good look at the institutions as well as the events and people that shaped the Prussian state. I found the last parts of the book very interesting as he traces some very familiar events from the point of view of Prussia instead of Germany. Since the German Empire did not fully absorb its member states, but Prussia was by far the dominant member, there were some odd administrative fits.

Despite this, much of the lead up and progress of WWI is barely glossed over. It is one of several places where having some idea of the regular history is needed as Clark does not hash it out for you. But one of the most fascinating sections is the interwar years, where he shows that the Prussian administration was a bit more willing to curb the rise of the Nazi party than the German administration. Otto Braun (Prussian Prime Minister) and Albert Grzesinski (Police Chief of Berlin) nearly had Hitler arrested and ejected from the country, but would have been blocked by Heinrich Brüning (Chancellor of Germany). This sort of tension is played up throughout the entire section, before moving on to how various people (including both Hitler and Churchill) played upon the idea of 'Prussianism' to try and promote their idea of the character of 'Germany'.

In all, it is a very good overview of a bit more than three centuries of history. I think it gets a little too dependent on the reader knowing some details of the Napoleonic Wars, and WWI, and so on, but the type of person interested in this book will probably already have the bare essentials needed already.

I truly enjoy reading history-biographical books.

However, this one was a hard to read and a bit redundant in its narrative. Nonetheless, how Prussia came to be and its demise, was interesting enough to keep me absorbing the length of the book.

Although, I might say from reading this book, I got two unexpected suggestions as to my future readings: one about Otto von Bismarck, and two, about Keiser Wilhem II.

Very interesting. For those that may not as have been as knowledgeable of Prussian history, this would be as good a place to start as any. I would say that that incudes me. I was not particularly aware of German history prior to WW2 until recent times and after reading a few books on subjects such as the reformation and the 30 Year War there is some very interesting reading to be had. This history of Prussia adds to that.

The rise of a nation called Prussia, from a backwater called Brandenburg to the mighty monarchy it finally became has been written very well by author Christopher Clark. He kept a steady pace throughout and it was fascinating to follow the growth of Prussia, be that by the various machinations of the monarchy, the politician’s, the bureaucracy and last but not least the military. Chapters on Fredrick the Great made enthralling reading. The authors explanation of the four wars for me defined what became known as Prussian Militarism. Examinations of a social welfare system that was the envy of progressives in such places a Great Britain made fascinating reading. All this was 5 star presentation.

So why only 4 stars? Because I found the authors defence of Prussian militarism at times a little ham fisted and also far too lengthy. One example comes to mind when he wrote that the western allies did not understand the anti-Nazi feeling of the Prussian traditionalists. The Soviets did and their propaganda that was supportive of the perpetrators of the July plot of 44 was indicative of that understanding. In the next sentence he writes that this support was really in truth “all eyewash”.

In the end though a highly recommended book.