Power Struggle (10/23)

The Power Struggle of the Kingdoms of Saxony and Prussia

In our everyday life, we can find many occasions where there is resistance to the unification of two or more separate entities to create one large, powerful unit. One of the least famous instances of this was the creation of the Steagles during World War II. The Steelers and Eagles, neither having enough players to field separate teams because of the war, combined to play a single NFL season together. At first, there was very strong opposition to this idea. Players, fans and even coaches tried to resist and made every effort to tear the team apart, at first. However, they finally caved a little and allowed for this unification to take place. This truly was a struggle of power, worrying that the other team would try to overpower the other if they were combined.

When we look at the creation of the German nation, we can see this same issue of a power struggle come to being. There were two extremely powerful kingdoms of Prussia and Saxony were in competition and constantly trying to overpower, overthrow and annex the other. Neither kingdom was willing to give up their name or their right to power. They each felt the other should become part of their kingdom. Neither even considered what could happen if they merged to create a larger, more powerful nation, with neither nation belonging to the other, but both belonging to this new entity. In the end, Prussia annexed Saxony into its kingdom just shortly before the unification of the German nation in 1871.

The evolution of German identity is quite unique. To the outside world, I feel as though Germans have a great pride in being Germany. This is clear as day when watching the Olympics or the World Cup. However, within their own nation, Germans take great pride in being from their own region. This is similar to the identity of Americans. Americans take great pride in being a citizen of this country, but they also take pride in being from their respective state, town, etc. What makes the German identity so unique is that they still identify with the regions that were in existence long before the unification in 1871. Germans will take great pride in being from the Bavarian Alps or the Northeastern Sea Platte more so than they might in being from the German state of Bavaria or Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Is it fair for us to assume that everything would have worked out perfectly had the two kingdoms been willing to work together to create a supreme kingdom and, from there, a unified German nation? Absolutely not. We cannot rightly assume anything on the basis that, after their struggle, things ended up falling into place. However, we can rightly assume that, as with their struggle to gain the dominant position over the other, there would be unique struggles and successes along the way. But how different would Germany have been? How would this have affected the development of the language and the culture? Would we still be able to find the unique culture and history of each region today? How would this have affected the actions of national leaders leading up to some of the most monumental moments in the country's history, such as World War I, the third Reich and World War II or the separation of East and West Germanys and the Cold War? These are questions for us to ponder, to study, to use as tools for discussion and to think about critically.