A feast of history through maps, drawings, timelines, and photographs

Following 『A History of Britain in One Night』,
International relations expert Ahn Byeong-eok's second European history story

From barbaric Germanic tribes to the heart of Europe
The Advancing Civilization of Steel: Germany's Turbulent History

“How could the country of philosopher Kant and great writer Goethe give birth to a monster like Hitler?”

François Mitterrand, who was President of France for 14 years from 1981, fought in World War II and was taken prisoner by the Germans.
He once said something like the question above about the country called 'Germany'.
His remarks cut to the heart of German history.
German history is so turbulent that it goes from one extreme to the other.
From barbarism and civilization, division and compromise, reaction and reform, division and unification, the more one studies German history, the more conflicting concepts arise, making one wonder what the essence of Germany is.

The outskirts of ancient Rome, a history divided into numerous principalities, and geographical conditions that inevitably led to numerous crises.
Yet, Germany has managed to become the heart of Europe and leads Europe today in the 21st century.
What are the keys to Germany's success, the world's third-largest economy and a leader in the European Union? "A History of Germany in One Night" traverses the entirety of German history, from the Germanic tribes to Chancellor Olaf Scholz's presidency.
This is an excellent introduction that approaches the interplay between Germany and the surrounding world in a public way, and presents key historical events in an easily understandable narrative format.

As it is advertised as a ‘German history book that anyone can read,’ it has added abundant visual materials.
Seven illustrations, 11 maps, 22 timelines, and 35 photographs will guide even readers unfamiliar with Germany to the last page.
It also introduces each of the figures who left a significant mark on German history, and through this process, we can learn in detail how they overcame the challenges of their time as Germans.
This book is suitable for readers interested in Germany as well as those who want to explore European history in a multi-layered manner.

In today's world, where countless crises are overlapping, let's learn about the wisdom of a community that overcomes the challenges of its time through Germany's history.
From the story of the Germanic warrior 'Hermann' to the present-day Germany led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, let's embark on a tumultuous journey through German history, going from one extreme to the next, with this book.

Because European countries are geographically adjacent, they have influenced each other's history, creating the fabric of 'European history.'
Especially in the 19th century, Europe exerted influence on countries around the world through its imperialist policies.
Europeans consider this period to be the time when European history became a major player in world history, and within this historical context, Europe and Germany became even more strongly connected.
--- p.14, from “Prologue”

As British professor Mary Fullbrook emphasized, the name 'Deutschland' derives from a language, not a tribe or a specific territory.
This is a unique case in European history.
Although the expressions "Terra Teutonica" and "Regnum Teutonicum" were not used until the 11th century, the concept of a "German nation" remained unclear for a long time.
Until the mid-14th century, the plural "German countries" was used much more frequently than the singular "Deutschland", a single German-speaking country.
--- p.34, from “Chapter 1: The Germanic Tribes that Successored Rome, Gradually Separated from Rome”

Scholars who emphasize Germany's role in European history naturally claim that Charlemagne, considered the "father of Europe," is the origin of German history.
On the other hand, scholars who emphasize the identity of 'Germany (Deutsche)' consider 911, when Conrad of Franconia was crowned king, or 936, when Otto the Great ascended to the throne, as the true beginning of German history.
However, the very identity of 'Germany' is a highly controversial concept.
As Professor Hagen Schulze points out, the nobles who lived east of the Rhine since ancient Rome considered themselves members of the Frankish kingdom.
The ruling class of East Frankish people traced their roots to the Carolingian tradition or, more recently, to Rome.
For them, the name or concept of 'Germany' did not exist at all.
Likewise, the empire of Otto I was understood as 'the empire of all Franks and Saxons'.
This means that the country's history began with the Franks, and later the Saxons were added.
--- p.47, from “Chapter 1: The Germanic Tribes that Successored Rome Gradually Separate from Rome”

The Peace of Westphalia granted sovereignty over their territories, diplomatic rights, and the right to conclude treaties to the princes of the more than 300 states within the Holy Roman Empire.
Although it imposed an obligation to respect the sovereignty of the Holy Roman Empire and to remain loyal to its institutions, it was a formality.
Here, sovereignty refers to the power of princes such as dukes and counts to independently decide on policies, independent of the emperor or the pope.
The princes came to have authority over not only religious matters but also the running of the state (the principality).
Sovereignty and the right to conclude treaties, which are the characteristics of a modern state, were clearly stated.
For this reason, the Treaty of Westphalia is called the starting point of the modern international system.
--- p.70, from “Chapter 1: The Germanic Tribes that Successored Rome, Gradually Separated from Rome”

British novelist DH, author of "Story of European History"
Lawrence defined Frederick the Great as "one of the men who completed the map of Europe."
Frederick the Great greatly expanded the territory of Prussia, which had a small presence in the gap between the European powers of the time, such as France, England, and Austria, and made it a country that could compete with Austria.
In a similar vein, Professor Kim Jang-soo evaluated the king's achievement as 'establishing a two-axis era in the German-speaking region of Prussia.'
If there had previously been only one axis, Austria, then after Frederick the Great came to power, Prussia emerged as another axis.
--- p.95, from “Chapter 2: The Rise of Prussia and the Formation of the German Nation”

Historians generally consider the Customs Union to have laid the foundation for German political unification under Prussian leadership.
On the other hand, according to the economic historian Hans-Joachim Voth, the small territorial states that joined the customs union used the profits gained from the trade facilitation resulting from lower tariffs to strengthen their own independence.
They had no choice but to join the customs union led by the great power of Prussia, but they still had doubts about Prussia-led unification.
--- p.142, from “Chapter 3: From Economic Integration to Political Integration, Belated Unification and the Development of the German Empire”

The Brothers Grimm collected and published fairy tales while Germany was suffering under the oppression of Napoleon.
He also systematically organized German grammar and contributed to the establishment of the academic discipline of German language and literature.
All of these works contributed to strengthening German nationalism and German identity.
As Neil McGregor, director of the British Museum, put it, Snow White fought against Napoleon.
--- p.151, from “Chapter 3: From Economic Integration to Political Integration, Belated Unification and the Development of the German Empire”

Bismarck had to constantly reassure the other powers that Germany was satisfied with unification and would not pursue an expansionist foreign policy.
Thus, until he stepped down as prime minister in 1890, the Iron Chancellor made the maintenance of the status quo and the isolation of France the core of his foreign policy.
He blocked France's alliance and formed a complex alliance system centered around Germany, which is called the 'Bismarck system'.
--- p.178, from “Chapter 3: From Economic Integration to Political Integration, Belated Unification and the Development of the German Empire”

Keynes warned that such a 'forced peace' would destroy the European economy and invite German retaliation.
In this book, he used statistical data to easily explain how the European economy revolved around Germany before the outbreak of World War I.
In the past, Germany was the most important export market for many European countries, including Russia, Austria-Hungary, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
However, if Germany were to pay reparations that France demanded, which the German economy could not afford, the economy would be destroyed.
This is Keynes's clear explanation.
This conference was supposed to be about reviving post-war Europe, but it destroyed Germany.
Keynes attacked the conference, saying it would ultimately destroy Europe.
--- p.229~230, from “Chapter 4: The Weimar Republic, the Nazi Third Reich, and World War II”

Prime Minister Chamberlain was heavily criticized as a representative politician who implemented a policy of appeasement because he was manipulated by the dictator and further fueled Hitler's ambitions.
However, at the time, less than 20 years had passed since the end of World War I and the country was still barely recovering from the Great Depression, and public opinion in Britain was that another war had to be prevented.
There was also a perception that the Treaty of Versailles was too harsh on Germany and that Britain bore some responsibility for it.
This was also the reason why rearmament in Britain was sluggish.
--- p.264, from “Chapter 4: The Weimar Republic, the Nazi Third Reich, and World War II”

Erhard is often called the 'father of the social market economy (Soziale Marktwirtschaft)'.
This refers to Germany's economic system.
While guaranteeing a free market economy, the government strongly regulates acts that harm competition, such as monopolies and price fixing.
In addition, we will establish a thorough welfare system for the socially disadvantaged.
For example, the requirements for laying off workers are very strict, and unemployment benefits are guaranteed to unemployed workers for a certain period of time.
It is usually contrasted with neoliberalism, which guarantees the functioning of the market as much as possible while maintaining a minimal welfare system.
Even today, the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs states on its official website that “the social market economy is the foundation of a free and open democratic society,” indicating that it has inherited Erhard’s social market economy.
--- p.329, from “Chapter 5: Division and Unification of the Nation, and the War in Ukraine”

The Social Democratic Party, which had suffered consecutive defeats to the Democratic Party since the first general election in 1949, attempted to change.
The first fruit of this was the Godesberg Program.
In this document, the Social Democratic Party announced to the world that it was no longer a class-based party but a mass party, and declared its support for and commitment to reform the market economy.
The Godesberg Program was adopted at the SPD congress held near Bonn, the capital of West Germany, in November 1959.
The party, which had undergone a major leadership shake-up and was undergoing a major restructuring, needed a fresh figure who would be a stark contrast to the "old man" Adenauer.
That was Willy Brandt.
He ran for prime minister in the autumn 1961 general election at the age of 47.
He was 38 years younger than Adenauer, so he was like a son.
The Social Democratic Party also devised a new election strategy.
They were the young President of the United States, John F.
Emulating Kennedy's campaign, Brandt was called "Germany's John F.
He described it as 'Kennedy'.
It focused on his affectionate time with his family and his friendly interactions with citizens while campaigning across the country.
--- p.333, from “Chapter 5: Division and Unification of the Nation, and the War in Ukraine”

After unification, the slang term 'Ossis and Wessis' was created.
West Germans call their East German compatriots 'Osis' or 'Zonis'.
Behind this pejorative slang term, meaning "country bumpkin," lies a resentment against the policy of West Germans giving the hard-earned economic gains to lazy East Germans for free.
On the other hand, East Germans call West Germans 'Besis', meaning 'nouveau riche'.
In addition, there is a sense of pride in the East German region as a place where German culture developed, centered around Berlin, while there is also a sense of sarcasm mixed in that the West German region is selfish, only interested in money, and lacks cultural authenticity.

--- p.366, from “Chapter 5: Division and Unification of the Nation, and the Ukrainian War”