Wilhelm II and the Germans: A Study in Leadership

ISBN-13: 9780195061727 / Angielski / Twarda / 1991 / 352 str.

Thomas A. Kohut

Opis

This book explores the personification inherent in the notion of "Wilhelmian Germany" by investigating the psychological dimension of Wilhelm II's leadership of the Germans. Despite his historical reputation, many Germans welcomed the Kaiser's leadership. The years between 1890 and 1914 were known as the Wilhelmian era in Germany, and even critics of Wilhelm II thought it somehow fitting that he should be the German emperor. The author argues that Wilhelm II's personal needs and the needs of Germans in an age of intense nationalism made him the symbol of the nation.

Recenzje

'The great merit of Thomas Kohut's study lies in the fact that he does not approach his subject as an amateur psychologist. He has immersed himself in the relevant literature with the aim of producing a "history informed by psychoanalysis". Nor is he dogmatic about his approach and opts for a range of theories. His pluralistic approach enables the author to interpret the available sources on Wilhelm's birth defect and his upbringing as a royal prince plausibly and coherently.' Times Higher Education Supplement