This is a major reassessment of the last five centuries of German history, from the Reformation to the end of World War II. The first volume deals with that age of German history which had the widest effect on the rise of modern Western civilization. Against the background of medieval culture, the author shows the origins of Luther's religion and the growth of various Protestant churches, as well as the subsequent restoration of the Roman Catholic Church. The history of the religious movements of the Reformation and the Counter Reformation is closely co-ordinated with the great transformation...