Basic HTML Version
EUROPE:CATASTROPHE ANO
REVIVAL
After Napoleon's down–
fa/1 events began to fa//
into place for the emer–
gence of the German
people as dominators of
the European continent.
T
HE PERIOD
from 18 14
lO
1945 was a fascina ting
era in European history. The
German nation again surfaced and
became the dominant continenta l
European power.
It
was no t the o ld
Holy Roman Empire of the German
nation, but a militaristic-nation–
alistic
empire in fully modern garb,
a lmost completely shorn of the cere–
monial a nd relig ious accou trements
of its medieval predecessor.
The Church Languishes
Meanwhile, the Catholic Church,
nou rished by the concept of the
im–
perium Christianum,
languished in
the shadow of nationalism. The
church, which was only an image of
imperial power. had its polilica l
hegemony shatter ed when nation–
alism instead of Christi an inter–
nationa lism became the domina nt
motif of European politics. Th e pa–
pacy 's "spiritual power was itself the
offspri ng of Rome 's tempora l do–
minie n," wrote the historian of the
Holy Roman Empire, James Bryce.
In the colla pse of Napol eon's em–
pire, "she heard the knell of the old
o rder and saw the end of her own
temporal power approaching. "
But a German empire was des–
tined to surface, continuing the
cycle of catastrophe a nd reviva! in
European politics. Once more, the
continent was to ree l under the im-
PLAIN TRUTH
January
1975
Parta
Germany
becomes
the
European
power
by
Paul W . Kroll
pact of the Germa rtic peo–
pl es. Germany was to be the
lron Kingdom with its Iron
Chancellor and th e Iron
C ross. Th e begi nning of lhis
powerful nation state. arising
frorn the ashes of the Holy
Roman Empire. really be–
gins, in one sense. in 1806 . At
this point, we con tinue our on-the–
spot reconstruction of events.
Year 1806: Confederation of the
Rhine Begins.
On July 12, 1806. Ba–
varia. Wüntemberg, Baden and
thirteen other Oerman states with–
draw from the Holy Roma n Empire.
Two weeks later. Napoleon makes
known that he has ' ·consented" to
become th e Protector of th e Con–
federation. F rancis Il, the Habsburg
Holy Roman Emperor. does what
he must: on August 6. 1806, he re–
signs the imperial dignity.
One thousa nd six years after Pope
Leo crowned Charlemagne in St.
Peter's. the Holy Roman Empire
comes to its end. Napoleon will as–
sume the position of European em–
pero r , having a lready crowned
himself emperor of the French.
With th e dissolution of Napo–
leon 's empire in 1814, the ·'Germa n
question" again thrusts itsel f into
the councils of Europe. In the Peace
of Paris, delegates speak of uniting
the Genn an sta tes by a federa l
bond.
But, at th e insistence of Austria 's
influential ministe r of fo reign af–
fairs, Metternich. a loose German
confederation is brought into exis–
tence that will last until 1866. Even
Metternich can only push through a
weak compromise of his demands .
19