Diffusion in Franco-German Relations (eBook)

Acknowledgments 6
Contents 8
List of Figures 10
List of Tables 11
List of Boxes 12
Chapter 1: Introduction 13
Why Yet another Book on Franco-German Relations? 13
Aims of this Book 16
Contents and Structure 18
References 19
Chapter 2: The Mainstream Narrative of Franco-German Relations and the Value of ‘Diffusion’ as a Complementary Analytical Framework 21
The Teleological Mainstream Narrative in the Literature on Franco-German Relations 21
The Shortcomings of the Mainstream Narrative 31
Diffusion as a Complementary Analytical Framework for Understanding the Interdependent Evolution of France and Germany 33
References 41
Chapter 3: Exporting Revolutionary Institutions Across the Rhine 47
A (Very Short) History of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars 47
An Indicator of Historic Progress—But Not a Transferable Model? The Reception of the French Revolution in the German States Until 1792 52
1792–1815: The Complex Impact of War on the Reception and Diffusion of Revolutionary Ideas and Institutions 56
Conclusion: Governments as ‘Filters’ in the Diffusion of Revolutionary Institutions to Germany 65
References 68
Chapter 4: Importing ‘Alien’ or ‘Enlightened’ Law: Understanding the Partial Diffusion of the Code Napoléon in the Confederation of the Rhine 71
A (Very Short) History of the Napoleonic Code 71
The Diffusion of the Napoleonic Code in German Territories: The Surprising Importance of Local Diffusion Agents 74
The Outcome of the Diffusion of the Napoleonic Code in Germany 80
The Continuous Application of the Code in Baden and in the Rhenish Provinces 81
A Lasting Source of Communicative Learning in German Legal Debate 83
Conclusion: Understanding the Partial Yet Lasting Diffusion of the Napoleonic Code in Germany 87
References 90
Chapter 5: Importing Nationalist Warfare: Prussia’s Emulation of the Napoleonic Way of War 92
Introduction 92
The Evolution of the German National ‘Movement’ Before 1789 93
From Embracing to Rejecting the Revolutionary Project: The Impact of the French Revolution on German National Discourse 96
Localizing the Adoption of French Nationalist Warfare: The Prussian Military Reforms After 1806 100
Conclusion 107
References 110
Chapter 6: Understanding the Incomplete Emulation of Prussian Warfare by the French Army After the Franco-Prussian War 113
Introduction 113
A (Very Short) History of the Franco-Prussian War 114
The Sources of Resistance to Military Reform in France Before 1870 118
Understanding the Incomplete Emulation of the Prussian Model Even After the Shock of 1870 124
Conclusion 128
References 130
Chapter 7: Learning from the Prussian Schulmeister? German Influences on French Primary Education Before and After 1870 133
Introduction 133
A (Very Short) History of Primary Schooling in France During the Nineteenth Century 134
Interpreting the History of Primary School Reform in France: The Dominance of Methodological Nationalism 138
Grasping the International Origins of French Debates on Primary Education and the Specific Role of the Prussian Example 143
Conclusion 151
References 153
Chapter 8: The ‘Germanisation’ of Local Identities in Alsace-Lorraine 156
Introduction 156
A (Very Short) History of the Territories of Alsace and Lorraine 157
Transferring German Identity to Alsace-Lorraine: Policies and Mechanisms 160
Success or Failure? Interpreting the Diminishing Resistance to the Germanisation Policy 170
Conclusion 182
References 184
Chapter 9: Enabling Reconciliation Through the Recognition of Mutual Entanglement: The Emergence of a Franco-German Transnational Memory of the First World War 187
Introduction 187
Can There Be Such a Thing as a ‘Transnational Memory’? 189
The Evolution of Collective Memories of the First World War in France and Germany During the Interwar Period 192
Initiating a Transnational Franco-German Memory of the First World War: Textbook Reforms and Historians’ Dialogues of the 1920s and 1930s 196
The Influence of the Historians’ Dialogue of the 1930 on the Franco-German Reconciliation Narrative After 1945 201
Conclusion 205
References 206
Chapter 10: Understanding the Diffusion of West German Ordoliberal Ideas Within the Context of the Introduction of the European Monetary System 210
Introduction 210
The International and Domestic Context of Economic and Monetary Policies in France and Germany During the 1970s 213
The Diffusion of Ordoliberalism to France During the Late 1970s: A Story of Parallel Mechanisms 216
The Outcome of the Diffusion of Ordoliberal Ideas to France: The Influence of Elite Socialisation on Mitterrand’s ‘tournant de la rigueur’ 224
Conclusion 229
References 231
Chapter 11: Conclusion: The Added Value of Studying Diffusion in the Context of Franco-German Relations 234
What Have We Learned from This Book for the Analysis of Franco-German Relations? 234
Implications for Studying Diffusion in International Relations 239
References 241
Index 243