Military History, Militarization, and the „American Century“

  • The blossoming of military history in Germany offers the chance to set new agendas beyond conventional narratives. The notion of a distinct authoritarian Prusso-German militarism, set against political modernity and civil society, has long served as the master narrative of modern German military history. But this narrative no longer holds any promise. It fails to situate the German experience within a common European and transatlantic military political realm and war culture; it ignores the centrality of technocratic reasoning and industrialized warfare for any understanding of the German military; it offers too overblown and simplistic a portrayal of societal militarization; and it downplays militarist multiplicities and the transformations of the early 20th century. This narrative has the additional disadvantage of cutting off the history of the military and war after 1945 from what came previously.

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Metadaten
Author:Dirk BönkerGND
URL:https://www.zeithistorische-forschungen.de/1-2005/4418
DOI:https://doi.org/10.14765/zzf.dok-2023
Parent Title (English):Zeithistorische Forschungen – Studies in Contemporary History
Publisher:ZZF – Centre for Contemporary History: Zeithistorische Forschungen
Place of publication:Potsdam
Document Type:Journal Article
Language:English
Date of Publication (online):2005/01/10
Date of first Publication:2005/01/10
Release Date:2020/11/22
Volume:2
Issue:1
First Page:105
Last Page:109
ZZF Chronological-Classification:20. Jahrhundert
ZZF Topic-Classification:Gewalt
Militär
Politik
Imperien
Transnationale Geschichte
Friedens und Konfliktforschung
Global History
Weltgeschichte
Internationale Beziehungen
Krieg
ZZF Regional-Classification:Amerika
Amerika / Nordamerika
Amerika / Nordamerika / USA
Web-Publications:Zeithistorische Forschungen
Studies in Contemporary History: Articles:1 / 2005 Kriege nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg
Licence (German):License LogoZZF - Clio Lizenz