DOC Four Cultures of the West by John W. O'Malley in History

Description

In the aftermath of World War II; Prussia--a centuries-old state pivotal to Europe's development--ceased to exist. In their eagerness to erase all traces of the Third Reich from the earth; the Allies believed that Prussia; the very embodiment of German militarism; had to be abolished.But as Christopher Clark reveals in this pioneering history; Prussia's legacy is far more complex. Though now a fading memory in Europe's heartland; the true story of Prussia offers a remarkable glimpse into the dynamic rise of modern Europe.What we find is a kingdom that existed nearly half a millennium ago as a patchwork of territorial fragments; with neither significant resources nor a coherent culture. With its capital in Berlin; Prussia grew from being a small; poor; disregarded medieval state into one of the most vigorous and powerful nations in Europe. Iron Kingdom traces Prussia's involvement in the continent's foundational religious and political conflagrations: from the devastations of the Thirty Years War through centuries of political machinations to the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire; from the enlightenment of Frederick the Great to the destructive conquests of Napoleon; and from the "iron and blood" policies of Bismarck to the creation of the German Empire in 1871; and all that implied for the tumultuous twentieth century. By 1947; Prussia was deemed an intolerable threat to the safety of Europe; what is often forgotten; Clark argues; is that it had also been an exemplar of the European humanistic tradition; boasting a formidable government administration; an incorruptible civil service; and religious tolerance. Clark demonstrates how a state deemed the bane of twentieth-century Europe has played an incalculable role in Western civilization's fortunes. Iron Kingdom is a definitive; gripping account of Prussia's fascinating; influential; and critical role in modern times.