Generations in Conflict: Youth Revolt and Generation Formation in Germany 1770-1968

Description

This is the first English-language collection of essays on modern German history with a generational theme. It adresses, first, the extraordinary power and persistence of a German tradition of youthful rebellion extending from the Sturm und Drang in the eighteenth century to the student revolts of 1968 and, second, the impact of the dramatic ruptures and discontinuities in modern German history on the formation and interaction of successive historical cohorts. Using a variety of different approaches, including literacy and oral history, the collection pays particular attention to the way generational identities interacted with those of class and gender. The book adds to our understanding of generations, of the balance between continuity and discontinuity in modern German history, of the generational roots of National Socialism and the Hitler Youth generation's impact on East and West German society.

"Each of the authors is a well-known historian, and the book provides a wealth of information for scholars interested in the role that youth revolt has played in the development of modern Germany...[A]n outstanding collection that successfully traces the evolution of German history through the prism of generational conflict. This paradigm will undoubtedly become increasingly important in the future, and scholars who wish to pursue it will have to consult this important book." Russel Lemmons, History "...it presents important issues in the study and interpretation of German history." German Studies Review "This volume is a good introduction for anyone wishing to study youth and generational conflict since it contains both useful surveys of scholarship and some closely argued essays that are instructive in terms of methods and insights. readers will appreciate the nuanced views of youth and generational conflict and Roseman's critical evaluation of the essays." Robert Wegs, Journal of Social History "Mark Roseman's superbly edited Generations in Conflict is the first English-language collection to address the question in a systematic fashion and succeeds in bringing together some of the more recent findings on the topic by a team of highly capable British and German scholars. ...remarkably coherent and cohesive collection of essays on one of the major themes in modern German history." Larry Eugene Jones, Central European History