The Germans and the Revolution

Reformation rather than revolution: for a long time, this was the motto of all the citizens and intellectuals in Germany who were opposed to the status quo yet did not want to see a violent coup. Following the revolution of 1848-9, which failed to achieve the double goal of unification and freedom, Bismarck responded with a revolution from above, the so-called ‘Small Germany Solution’. The revolution of 1918-19 gave rise to a new democratic system in the form of the Weimar Republic, which was brought to an end by the Nazi dictatorship. Whether this was in fact a revolution is one of the questions explored in this brilliantly written book, which also looks at the issue of the historical significance of the ‘peaceful revolution’ of 1989 and how it provided a solution to the ‘German question’ in form of reunification.