Pan-Germanism
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Pan-Germanism, one of the ethnically-charged political movements of the 19th century for unity of the German-speaking peoples of Europe. Some radical German immigrants in America also sought a union with their German "brothers" back in Europe.
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Origins
Pan-Germanism's origins began in the early 1800's following the Napoleonic Wars. The wars launched a massive new movement that was born in France itself during the French Revolution, Nationalism. Nationalism during the 1800's threatened the old aristocratic regimes. Many ethnic groups of Central and Eastern Europe had been divided for centuries, ruled over by the old Monarchies of the Romanovs and the Habsburgs. Germans, for the most part, had been a loose and disunited people since the Reformation when the Holy Roman Empire was shattered into a patchwork of states. The new German nationalists, mostly young reformers, sought to unite all the German-speaking and ethnic-German (Volksdeutsche) people.
Prussia, Austria and Nationalism
By the 1860's, the two most powerful German-speaking nations were Prussia and Austria, both of which sought to expand their influence and territory. The Austrian empire, however, was often criticized for its multi-ethnic base by German-speakers living both within and outside the empire. Indeed, it later acknowledged multi-ethnicity by redefining itself as the Austro-Hungarian empire. Prussia, under Otto von Bismarck, would end up riding on the back of Nationalism to unite all of modern-day Germany. The German Empire ("second Reich") would be achieved in 1871 following the crowning of Wilhelm I head of a union of German-speaking states. The problem was that many ethnic Germans still lived outside of the new empire. These groups would use Pan-Germanism to try and push unity with the Fatherland. Regions like Austria and the Sudetenland would become the center of controversy.
Some Austrians themselves began to resent their own diverse Empire. Identifying themselves as descendants of the Bavarians, who had conquered and expanded into the region, many Western Austrians supported a separation from the Habsburg Empire and unity with the German Empire.
Post WW1 developments
Following World War I, German influence over Eastern Europe was crushed. Germany was humiliated and Austria was shattered. The creation of Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and the expansion of Romania would end up separating the German Volk (people), once united under the two empires of Austria and Germany. After WW1, many of the Slavic states were prejudiced against their German minorities, especially in formerly Habsburg-controlled lands. Allegations of racism and oppression were made. After he seized power in Germany, Adolf Hitler began a radical policy of exploiting Pan-Germanism. The Sudetenland, a crest-shaped region on the western fringe of the modern-day Czech Republic, was the centre of controversy. The region had a German-speaking majority. It had been included in Czechoslovakia as a buffer-zone against any future German aggression. Hitler used the "oppression" of ethnic Germans in Eastern Europe to justify invasion. In early 1938, Austria, over 90% of which was German-speaking, was annexed by Germany. In late 1938, the Sudetenland issue was debated at the Munich Conference. The region, with nearly 3 million German-speakers living in it, was given to Hitler's Germany after an overwhelming vote.
By the height of World War II, Austrians, Sudetens, Alsatians, Transylvanian Germans, and Baltic Germans were all under the control of Nazi Germany. Though this gave ethnic Germans many advantages, it also disrupted many people's lives. The Nazis began relocating and re-settling Germans throughout Europe based upon their own plans, regardless of what the Eastern European Germans might have wanted.
Post WW2 and Death of Pan-Germanism
World War II brought about the death of Pan-Germanism, much as World War I had led to the demise of Pan-Slavism. The Germans in Eastern Europe were expelled brutally, parts of Germany itself were devestated, and the country was divided on ideological lines into West Germany and East Germany. The scale of the Germans' defeat was unprecedented. Nationalism and Pan-Germanism became almost taboo, because they had been used so destructively by the Nazis. However, the reunification of Germany in 1990 revived the old debates. The fear of nationalistic misuse of Pan-Germanism nevertheless remains strong. It is for this reason that many Germans themselves fear the idea of a united "Volksdeutsche". Today, there are still sizable populations of German-speakers outside Germany in Switzerland, Belgium, France, Italy, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union. Many of these groups of German-speakers in Eastern Europe have sought citizenship in Germany since the collapse of the Communist bloc. Still today, the idea of a unified Germany and Austria strikes memories of Nazism. The very fact that Germanic unity would stir forgotten and fearful memories that most people on both sides would rather not remember, forestalls any such union in the future.
Austrian identity today
In Austria, only the extreme right still clings to Pan-Germanism. During most of the Second Republic, this part was represented mostly by the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) (founded in 1955 and led by the internationally notorious populist politician Jörg Haider from 1986-2000).
Even though the party ranks of the FPÖ are largely made up of members of Pan-German Studentenverbindungen, the old Pan-German wing is in a minority. At the very least, Pan-Germanism is not part of its official program or a seriously proposed policy, as it is not popular with the Austrian electorate today. Jörg Haider attempted to refashion the party more into chauvinistic Austrian patriotism, which was quite apparent after the so-called "sanctions" imposed the leaders of the other 14 EU member states in response to the formation of the coalition government with the conservative ÖVP after the 1999 elections.
Likewise, the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) party created by Haider in April 2005 does not promote pan-Germanism, although some of its prominent members (such as Herbert Haupt) have been known to participate in activities by right-wing Studentenverbindungen which can, at the very least, be called nostalgic towards Pan-Germanism.
Since the end of the War, and with the growth of newer generations, the self-image of Austrians has changed considerably. After the War, most still did not have any confidence in an independent Austria. With the passing of time and the consolidation of the state, and the passing of new generations, this attitude has changed to a more independent viewpoint. This change in attitude has been reflected in the way Austrian history is viewed. The rule of the Babenberg and Habsburg are seen as times, from which the country and its people can forge and build their identity. The 7-year long period of the Anschluss with Nazi-Germany is something most would like to forget, and is a cause of great embarassement.
Most normal Austrians today resent being called "German" by anyone (similar to Belgians not liking being called "French", or Canadians as "Americans".) and even pejoratively call Germans Piefke, which is actually a joke on Prussians (Bavarians are excepted from that term). This is also reflected in the language: similar like Swiss German, Austrian-German also has some unique vocabulary, vocal intonations, and dialects not used in Germany proper. To speak of a separate language though would be incorrect. The overwhelming majority of Austrians today are quite happy to be independent and enjoy their "Austrian", not German, identity, except for a very few dwindling diehards. Putting the existence of Austria into question can be viewed today as state treason.
Summarising, it can be said that Pan-Germanism is dead, except amongst the extreme right and neonazis.
- Alldeutscher Verbund (1893)