Treitschke, Heinrich von

(1834–1896)

   Born in Dresden, Heinrich von Treitsche was one of the most well-known German historians of the later nineteenth century. Appointed as Leopold von Ranke ’s successor at the Humboldt University in 1874, Treitschke’s name is closely associated with his unswerving support for German nationalism. After German unification in 1871, he also held a seat as a National Liberal in the Reichstag. He edited the monthly Preussische Jahrbücher and became in 1886 Prussian state historian. In his German History in the Nineteenth Century, published in a series of volumes between 1879 and 1894, Treitschke sought to provide a historical justification for German unification and expansion. His aim was to arouse in the hearts of his readers “the pleasure of living in the Fatherland.” Full of vitriol for the British, whom he described as “dreadful hypocrites” with an Empire based on an “abundance of sins and outrages,” his works were extremely well received and inspired leading figures such as Bernhard von Bülow .

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   FURTHER READING:

    Davis, H. W. Careless. The Political Thought of Heinrich von Treitschke. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1973;

    McCabe, Joseph. Treitschke and the Great War. London: T. F. Unwin, 1914.

   PAUL LAWRENCE