Martin Luther A Man Before His Time!

When introduced to such a pivotal figure in not only German history but also the history of the world I was enticed to say the least.  I didn’t understand why I had not known much about such a powerful figure until briefly watching a YouTube video about him.  Martin Luther was to the anti church movement as Martin Luther King was to the civil rights movement.  I believe that in a world with so many individuals we as people forget that the power of one man or woman can influence the world in great ways for good and evil.  The power of good stretches from the powerful words of Martin Luther King to the outrageous minds and beliefs of Hitler.  Martin Luther in my eyes was a classic example for the rest of the world of how ones mind, and words can change the course of history.  What if Martin Luther never gained support from his countrymen?  What if Martin Luther never decided to think out loud with his beliefs?  These are the questions that intellectual individuals struggle with today.  However the way in which Martin Luther paved the path for one to have such an impact arguably hadn’t been seen since the coming of Jesus.  It was interesting to me how Martin Luther utilized the printing press to spread his thoughts and speak freely evading prosecution along the way.  His way of spreading his word is to me much like a viral video that airs on YouTube and catches the hearts and minds of individuals across all continents.  Through all of this I believe that Martin Luther set the table for decisions later on after his death.  These decisions that I talk of our how the world’s governments and people were to live their lives.  It is no wonder that as we live today some citizens do not believe in religion as a whole.  It is quite ironic that if Martin Luther didn’t agree with the Pope back then he was deemed a minion of Satin, but today it is perfectly acceptable to not agree with religion as a whole. Martin Luther showcased to the planet what it was to be brave, even when warned by what was the most powerful man in the world Luther pressed on.  This just goes to show that the man was determined and utilized his knowledge to persuade for the good.  These are the types of political, cultural, and religious figures that interest me in early German history, and it is so exciting to know that I will be traveling to where this all began and educating myself on how the world has gotten to where it now stands today! 447

 (Pope Leo Martin Luther's aggressor) 

 (One of Martin Luther's influential quotes)

 (Martin Luther's words in one of his most famed works! )

Second Blog Entry Germany!

In reading Hagen Schulze’s novel I found many parallels between America and Germany.  From the beginning of what has now become known as Germany the foundation of an empire was not seen.  What I found interesting is that Germany started off as land that was ruled under the church and Roman Empire.  However as time passed between the 15^th and 17^th centuries the Germanic Lands” as many referred them as transformed into something more organized and powerful.  Enjoying history as much as I do, I loved looking at how the Germanic people capitalized on the waning presence the Roman Empire had on them.  As time passed borders of the lands surrounding Germany became more evident, which almost in a sense foreshadowed where Germany is today as a country.  By the end of the 17^th century the novel states that the provinces were to be governed by the princes and the princes were loyal only to Germany as a whole.  This is where I can see the similarities to a more independent and free nation, much like the United States.  The United States was once a country that possessed many main parties that had a legitimate shot as holding power in the government.  This can be seen in the early German days, the princes who governed their respective lands represented them as well.  In a sense this is much like a multiparty system.  I looked at it from the angle that these princes were just not tyrants who suppressed their citizens; they were party platforms in the making.  These same party platforms strived to achieve power in a very organized manner for the time period.  It was almost as if they had to break away from the church and other powerful empires to form their new futures.  This is exactly like the United States of America.  America was under rule of the British Empire for quite sometime however when Britain’s power became weak, and they overexploited their colony Americans forged their own destiny.  The thing that is also funny to me is the way in which the German people pursued every avenue in governing themselves to find the one that best fit them, and ensured their survival as German people.  The avenue that helped pave the evolution of Germany in history was that of institutions.  I believe that the more central a colony, country, or empires institutions are the more strength ones government possesses.  It is in chapter two that this becomes evident.  Once again much like America the institutions in Germany under Roman rule were very weak and lacked validity. Hence paving the path for a slow but steady evolution of German people as we see them today.  Not only am I excited to absorb modern Germany as it is today, but I am also excited to learn how Germany’s people put themselves in a position to get to where they are today!  483

 (The American institution of Congress)

 (Germany in the 17th Century)

 (The German Imperial Diet, where province princes were to be held accountable to their alliance to Germany)