
Gold and Iron: Bismarck, Bleichröder and the Establishment of the German Empire (utopia Translation Series 23)
by S
About This Novel
Bismarck's speech to the Prussian Parliament in 1862 earned him the title of "Iron Chancellor", but the establishment of the German Empire relied more on money, coal and iron, rather than iron and blood. Fritz Stern's "Gold and Iron" adopts a unique perspective and chooses the relationship between Bismarck and his Prussian Jewish banker Bleichröder as the main line to depict the inextricable relationship between the German political and financial circles and the two worlds in Germany: the new world of capitalism and the old world of ancient feudal spirit. The success of the Jews as a minority and the conflicts of interest brought about by social mobility not only revealed the fragility of the new German Empire and its ruling class, but also demonstrated the duality of wealth-it both threatened tradition and provided hope for social mobility. Gold and Iron shows how German and Jewish hypocrisy and self-deception rose to dominate the system, ultimately having dire consequences.
What Readers Think
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Official(3)Scraped 4d ago
Gerson knew deeply that his future depended on his family background and social status. Regarding their ancestors, the Jews only knew Adam and Abraham. Before the 18th century, they did not have surnames.
At that time, there was a huge gap in communication between Christianity and Judaism. Only a small number of Jews were protected because they had special value. One of the things Gelson Jacob was most proud of was marrying a protected Jew.
Gerson's life has always been dominated by his belief that he must abide by his filial piety. The world is full of all kinds of hostility and fierce competition. In order to survive better, he must work hard.
Rating
Community(0)
Official(3)Scraped 4d ago
Gerson knew deeply that his future depended on his family background and social status. Regarding their ancestors, the Jews only knew Adam and Abraham. Before the 18th century, they did not have surnames.
At that time, there was a huge gap in communication between Christianity and Judaism. Only a small number of Jews were protected because they had special value. One of the things Gelson Jacob was most proud of was marrying a protected Jew.
Gerson's life has always been dominated by his belief that he must abide by his filial piety. The world is full of all kinds of hostility and fierce competition. In order to survive better, he must work hard.
