Helmut Kohl's Quest for Normality

His Representation of the German Nation and Himself
1. Auflage 2015
ISBN: 978-1-78238-573-8
Verlag: Berghahn Books

Buch, Englisch, Band 20, 264 Seiten, Format (B × H): 157 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 538 g

Reihe: Making Sense of History

During his political career, Helmut Kohl used his own life story to promote a normalization of German nationalism and to overcome the stigma of the Nazi period. In the context of the cold war and the memory of the fascist past, he was able to exploit the combination of his religious, generational, regional, and educational (he has a PhD in History) experiences by connecting nationalist ideas to particular biographical narratives. Kohl presented himself as the embodiment of “normality”: a de-radicalized German nationalism which was intended to eclipse any anti-Western and post-national peculiarities. This book takes a biographical approach to the study of nationalism by examining its manifestation in Helmut Kohl and the way he historicized Germany’s past.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Wicke, Christian

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtswissenschaft Allgemein Biographien & Autobiographien: Historisch, Politisch, Militärisch
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politikwissenschaft Allgemein Politikerbiographien
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Ideologien Nationalismus
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtswissenschaft Allgemein Geschichtspolitik, Erinnerungskultur
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Deutsche Geschichte
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Ideologien Konservativismus

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Acknowledgements

List of Abbreviations

Introduction

Chapter 1. Approaching Nationalism: Conceptual Frameworks                

Chapter 2. Kohl as Catholic Nationalist

Chapter 3. Kohl as Liberal Nationalist

Chapter 4. Kohl as Romantic Nationalist

Chapter 5. Kohl as Nationalist Historian

Conclusion: a Synthesis of Kohl’s Personal Nationalism

Bibliography

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Wicke, Christian
Christian Wicke is Assistant Professor in Political History at Utrecht University.

Christian Wicke is Assistant Professor in Political History at Utrecht University.