Napoleon led a powerful French army to sweep across Europe like a hurricane and easily conquered this land in central Europe.
The goddess of peace was removed as a trophy from the Brandenburg Gate and shipped back to France.
The humiliation came again, awakening the painful memories hidden in the hearts of Germans.
In the past hundreds of years, this land called the European Corridor has been the battlefield of the whole of Europe. Germans often become mercenaries of neighboring European powers, killing each other in their own land.
1648, European countries signed the Peace Treaty of Westphalia after the "Thirty Years' War" for hegemony, and finally determined the division of Germany in the form of law. In this year, this land was divided into 3 14 countries, although they also shared the name "German Holy Roman Empire", but
1806 When Napoleon's army invaded flagrantly, the so-called empire could not resist. Prussia and Austria, the two largest countries in the empire, suffered a crushing defeat, and Prussia was forced to cede half its territory and pay10.50 billion francs in war reparations. The Holy Roman Empire of Germany collapsed.
When even a nominal country no longer exists in this land, people think of the sigh of the German poet Schiller: "Germany? Where is it? I can't find that place. " Schiller's friend Goethe simply said that there is not a city or even a place, which makes us firmly point out that this is Germany. If we ask this question in Vienna, the answer is that this is Austria; If we ask this question in Berlin, the answer is that this is Prussia. Where is the moral will? This historic problem torments the soul of every German.
German poets use poetry to explore the future of the nation; German musicians express their passion for struggle with notes; German philosophers use ideas to inspire supreme national worship.
Interview: August, a professor of modern history at Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany? Winkler
The theme of Germany19th century history is unity and freedom. At that time, Germany was not a unified nation-state like France and Britain. /kloc-The German unification movement has been pursuing the establishment of a nation-state and a constitutional state in the 20th century.
18 14, Napoleon was defeated by the anti-French alliance formed by European countries. Under the leadership of Britain and Russia, a "German Federation" consisting of 38 states was established, but each state still has independent sovereignty. Because European powers have been reluctant to see a unified Germany rise in central Europe.
After the defeat, France returned the goddess of peace, but the goddess of peace who returned to Brandenburg Gate still faced a divided Germany.
Perhaps the reason why history is intriguing lies in its complexity and subtlety. Napoleon the conqueror aggravated the humiliation of this land, but Napoleon became the promoter of German reunification. He wiped out the feudal order that existed in this land for hundreds of years by force and spread the principle of freedom and equality advocated by the French Revolution everywhere.
Under the guidance of the French Revolution, Germans began to seek to establish a unified and free country.
Reutlingen is a beautiful and quiet town in southern Germany. For more than 200 years, the town has enjoyed Friedrich? The glory brought by Liszt. In the process of German unification, Liszt was considered as the most active and influential figure.
Interview: Professor Oygen of the University of Reutlingen, Germany? Vendler
Liszt believes that Germany can only compete with Britain and France if it realizes political reunification. This kind of unification can be achieved not by revolution, but by peaceful means, and Liszt knows very well that this kind of unification can not be achieved overnight, but should be realized gradually, that is to say, he thinks that Germany's economic union should be realized first.
In the19th century, when people were still used to solving ethnic problems by war, Liszt's thought was obviously a little ahead. The unification from economy to politics is not only a unique vision of an economist, but also a bold idea. The realistic reason for putting forward this idea is that Germany's economic development is hindered by division.
In the Customs Museum in Hamburg, there are some currencies used by German states. At its peak, more than 6,000 kinds of currencies were used in this land.
In addition to chaotic currencies, countries have set up numerous barriers and imposed heavy tariffs. Now it's only a few hours' drive from Berlin to Switzerland, but at the beginning of the 9th century, they had to go through 10 countries, go through 10 procedures, exchange 10 currencies and pay 10 tariffs.
Answer supplement
German unification
(1) Germany embarked on the road of capitalist development through national unification.
(2) The reunification of Germany is the historical requirement of the development of German capitalism, which conforms to the historical development trend and is progressive.
(3) The unification of Germany was achieved by Prussia through dynasty wars.
(4) The unified Germany inherited the old Prussian system, especially the militaristic tradition, with a strong feudal military color.
Constitutional monarchy in the German Empire
187 1 year, the german empire was established. In the spring of the same year, the German Constitution was adopted. According to the Constitution, the unified Germany is a federal monarchy.