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 15th and 17th 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 17th
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)
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