Legacy of the German Empire

During the forty-year life of the German Empire, an enduring legacy with many profound effects was created. First and foremost, it represented the first time a unified German state had been achieved, even if the resulting state was dominated by Prussia, and did not include Austria, as many Pan-German nationalists believed it should. Prussian militarism and its colonial endeavors also had a profound impact on the legacy of the German Empire, resulting in Germany’s reputation for warmongering and genocide. On the other hand, it was also an incredibly modern government, allowing its citizens a voice via democratically elected representatives, allowing the common German citizen the chance to affect government policy. The era of the German Empire represents a unique period in the history of Germany, and its legacy remains relevant to this day.

Within Germany, this period is remembered as a time when academic life was at the forefront of German society—when arts and literature were encouraged and flourished. Novelists such as Thomas Mann, as well as nonfiction writers like Theodor Mommsen wrote their seminal works, and German painters made significant advances in art, creating new, modern styles. Many advances were made in architecture as well, including an increasing emphasis on functionalism. The legacy of the German Empire is far more than just war—it is a golden age of German creativity and progress.

This period also saw the emergence of Germany as one of the world’s foremost economic powers. The coal and iron industries of the Ruhr, the Saar Basin, and Upper Silesia fed industrial centers in the Rhineland, increasing production and industrial potential. As a result of the increase in production jobs, Germany was urbanized nearly overnight. It also saw the rise of Germany to prominence in the sciences and engineering to a position of worldwide prestige that it still occupies today. Another powerful legacy of the German Empire is its influence on German science, technology, and economy.

An often lamented part of the legacy of the German Empire is the First World War, which many historians blame on the Kaiser’s willingness to support Austria-Hungary’s quarrel with Serbia. Many also believed that the trends of social dynamics that emerged during this period doomed the Weimar Republic, which emerged out of World War I, to failure, and led to the rise of the Nazi Party. Many people also claim that the German Empire inspired a growing fractiousness concerning the way the German government should operate, which each political group having its own interpretations. The Versailles Treaty that concluded World War I also left a difficult legacy for future German governments, spawning many economic and social hardships that many Germans resented. A decade later, Nazi leader Adolph Hitler would harness this resentment and use it to rally the German people behind German National Socialism.