A Short History of Germany

It is more important to comprehend the forces which have created a great nation, and the progressive steps by which it has unfolded, than to know the multitudinous events and incidents which have attended such unfolding.

In order to forestall criticism for the absence of some events in this History of Germany the author desires to say, that there has been an effort to keep strictly to the main line of development and to resist the temptation of introducing details which do not bear directly upon such line.

The bypaths of history are fascinating, but they are of secondary importance, and may better be explored after the main road has been traveled and is thoroughly known.

Such is the ideal which has been very imperfectly followed in this book.

M. P. P.

NEW YORK, June 21, 1897.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Indo-European Migrations--Divisions of the Aryan Family into European Races--The Teutonic Race

CHAPTER II.

Hermann--Defeat of Varus--Characteristics of the Ancient Germans

CHAPTER III.

Social Conditions--Form of Government--The Goth in Rome--A Gothic Kingdom in Spain--The Teuton Race Covering the European Surface--The Angles and Saxons in Britain

CHAPTER IV.

Ulfilas--The Hunnish Invasion--The Roman Empire Perishing--Its Conversion--An Eastern Empire--Increasing Power of the Church--Charlemagne--France and Germany Separated--Feudal System

CHAPTER V.

Early Conditions--Hungarian Invasions--Creation of Burgs--Knighthood--Pope and Emperor Become Rivals--Henry IV.--Canossa--First Hohenstaufen--Welf and Waiblingen--The Crusaders--Conrad--Frederick Barbarossa

CHAPTER VI.

Source of Weakness in the Empire--The Great Interregnum--The Nibelungen Lied--The Hanseatic League--The Guilds--Meistersingers

CHAPTER VII.

Conditions--First Hapsburg and First Hohenzollern--Swiss Freedom--Intellectual Awakening--The Golden Bull--Hussite War--A Hohenzollern Receives a Mortgage on the Territory of Brandenburg--Discovery of Gunpowder--Conditions Existing under Frederick III.--Invention of Printing--The Passing of the Old and Coming of the New

CHAPTER VIII.

General European Conditions--Centralizing Tendencies at Work--Maximilian I.--A New World--The Rise of Spain--Isabella--Charles IV.

CHAPTER IX.

Triple Game between Francis I., Henry VIII., and Charles IV.--Leo X.--Luther--The Diet of Worms--Protestantism Born--Margrave of Brandenburg Usurps Sovereignty over Prussia--The Peasants War--The Augsburg Confession--Charles V. Thwarted--Protestantism a Dominant Power in his Empire--Schisms in the New Faith--Calvinism--Reformers--Lutherans--The Schmalkaldian League--Anabaptists--Abdication of Charles V.--Philip II.--Death of Charles--Ferdinand I.--Council of Trent--Society of Jesus

CHAPTER X.

A Protestant Germany--A Divided Protestantism--True Meaning of the Struggle--Unfruitful Waiting--The Renaissance--Music, Art, Letters, Born Anew--Thought Awakened--Copernicus--Galileo--Kepler--Impending Calamity--Protestant Union and Catholic League--Thirty Years' War Commenced--Wallenstein--Gustavus Adolphus--His Triumph and Death--Richelieu--Death of Wallenstein--Peace of Westphalia--Division of Territory

CHAPTER XI.

Romano-Germanic Empire Perishing--European Conditions--Louis XIV.--Decay of National Spirit--Rise of Brandenburg--Combination against Louis XIV.--Spanish Succession--Under Frederick I. Brandenburg Becomes Prussia--Alliance with England--Marlborough and Prince Eugene--Blenheim--Peace of Utrecht--Territorial Changes--Charles XII. and Peter the Great--Pragmatic Sanction--Frederick William I.--Stirrings of Thought in this Time of Chaos--Birth of German Speculative Philosophy--Spinoza--Soul Awakening