Review

General Books

German's Kaiserreich period 1971-1918 occupies a central position in our understanding of the course of nineteenth and twentieth century German and European history. In recent decades much has been written about the complex and diverse economic, social, and political aspects of this era, and research on Imperial Germany continues to examine and re-examine important questions. With a multitude of new scholarship appearing every year, though, it is increasingly difficult to keep abreast of all developments; thus instructors and students alike are dependent on syntheses to pull together the information contained in numerous studies. Seligmann and McLean have helped in this respect with their Germany from Reich to Republic, 1871-1918, which they claim is "an approachable guide to the political development of Germany during the years of the Second Reich." (1) While the focus is certainly on political structures and the roles played by prominent individuals, the authors do not exclude social and economic factors which they integrate when appropriate.	1
Seligmann and McLean's book hinges on the careers of Bismarck and Kaiser Wilhelm II. After a brief introduction on the historical context and Germany's political structure, the authors present two chapters devoted to the Bismarck period, one detailing his domestic policies and the second his external policies. These focus on standard themes such as protectionism, power politics, and colonial policy, and explain them in a straightforward fashion. There follows then a very good discussion on the crucial year 1888 and the accession to the throne of Wilhelm II. While the information on Emperor Friedrich III contained in this chapter is rather brief, Seligmann and McLean nicely explain Wilhelm II's complex personality, and detail well Bismarck's fall in 1890 and his long-term legacy. The second half of Germany from Reich to Republic is devoted to the Wilhemine period and, as with the Bismarck years, is organized into individual chapters on domestic and external policies. Readers are presented here with a greater level of detail than in the Bismarck section, particularly with regard to foreign policy and the origins of World War I. This last segment helps to clarify the multitude of factors involved and the interpretation of what continues to be a controversial theme. The final chapter describes the demise of the Kaiserreich during 1914-1918. Here the authors unfortunately present too much detail on the failed Schlieffen Plan and all too little on the rapidly diminishing role played by the Kaiser, the failure of the political system, and the increasing power of Germany's military establishment.	2
Germany from Reich to Republic contains nicely organized chapters placed in a chronological framework; individual themes are treated separately within these chapters. For example, in chapter six, "External Policies under Wilhelm II," there are six thematic sections, including the new foreign policy, German expansionism, Flottenpolitik, and the breakdown of Anglo-German relations. Indeed, on the whole, organization is a strength of this book: the text is logical and generally easy to follow, moving clearly from one concept, or interpretation, to the next. Consequently, Germany from Reich to Republic is well suited for upper-level undergraduate history students, and because the authors make specific reference throughout to many key interpretations, even graduate students could use this volume to deepen their understanding of the Imperial period. In addition, because of its system of thematic organization, both high school and college instructors could rely on the book for lecture material. But high school students, lower-level undergraduates, and those lacking a firm foundation in nineteenth and twentieth century European history generally, and Germany more specifically, would often struggle with this text; Seligmann and McLean make numerous references throughout the text to events and persons which many American students might well not know.	3
In sum, despite its shortcomings, Germany from Reich to Republic is a welcome addition to the literature on Imperial Germany. The book is weak on the pre-1871 background to the Kaiserreich, however, attempting with just a two-page summary to introduce readers to the subject matter. The book devotes almost no space to the later consequences of the Imperial period, and it contains only two maps of mediocre quality. But, on the whole, this volume is a detailed and well-organized piece of political history that blends economic and social factors. In addition, the suggestions for further reading contain many standards as well as some newer scholarship that upper-level students will find useful for research projects.	4
Concordia University, St. Paul Thomas Saylor

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