German Anglophobia and the Great War, 1914-1918

Description

This is the first major study of German attitudes towsrds England during the Great War, 1914-18, continuing the story of Anglo-German antagonism where previous studies have ended. In particular it focuses on the extremity of anti-English feeling in Germany in the early years of the war, and on the attempt by writers, propagandists and cartoonists to redefine Britain as the chief enemy of the German people and their cultural heritage. New material is also offered concerning the development of an extreme rightist network in Munich and Berlin during the war years, which used anti-English feeling as a focus for attacking the supposedly defeatist government of Chancellor Bethmann-Hollweg. Such views formed the background to the disastrous decision to begin unrestricted submarine warfare against England in January 1917; and they also contributed to the ideological polarization of German politics at a crucial juncture in European and world history.

'... a comprehensive monograph about a central aspect of early twentieth-century German political culture.' German History '... deserves to be read not only by specialists of the First World War, but by anyone who wants to understand the course of German history in the first half of the twentieth century.' Stefan Berger, English Historical Review 'Stibbe vividly portrays the spread of Anglophobia through German literature and everyday culture.' Sven Oliver Muller, German Historical Institute Bulletin 'This provocative book ... asks 'When and where did the environmental movement begin?' ... The strength of the book is historical and much of its evidence analyses the work of the Indian Forest Department from the 1850s onwards.' Brian Ellis, Geography '... impressively researched and trenchantly argued ... this is a very good book ...'. J. M. Bourne, University of Birmingham, History