United Germany, Nationalism and Militarism: Potsdam and the Maintenance of Tradition.

摘要

The rise of a united Germany has spawned fears in the United States of a return of traditional German nationalism and militarism. The present essay analyzes historical dimensions of this problem with reference to the example of the historical symbolism of the town of Potsdam. Long a symbol of the Prussian-German military past, Potsdam as a symbol can no longer be understood in traditional terms. The report explores the connections between the meaning of Potsdam as a symbol and the debate in German society about the military and society.