Simon Schama on the British Empire

This is a clip from the BBC produced series "History of Britain" from 2000.

Episode 11, "The Wrong Empire" deals with the rise of the British Empire in the years 1750-1800.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_History_of_Britain

Category:

Education

Tags:

• history
• Britain
• Schama
• liberalism
• nationalism
• empire
• politics

[bbagginz]

The same old story of empire - Mr Schama's words also perfectly describe the current global hedgemon: the United States

[christophmahler]

@bbagginz

«By repetition that which at first appeared merely a matter of chance and contingency becomes a real and ratified existence.»

('The Philosophy of History', part III, section II; Georg Hegel; 1840)

[christophmahler]

@nate91han

(continuation)

Bismarcks campaigns against domestic opponents to Prussian hegemony were unsuccessful.

There had been approaches to replace them with nationalism.

Historians that admire the statemanship of Bismarck are rare today.

The support of war credits divided German socialism.

The rule of Wilhelm the II. was not as absolute as that of Frederick the II. - or the 'Soldier-King'.

[christophmahler]

@nate91han

I apologize for the time it took me to consider my views.

My short - non-academic - reply goes as follows:

The best route to solve the 'German question' would be a decentralized confederation - including Poland and Belgium.

Legislation, the police and the courts - in general - must not be corrupted by economic interests.

[christophmahler]

Your questions seem to relate to the last question posed in the video clip - just in reference to Germany, rather than to Great Britain:

'How was it, that we ended up with the wrong empire ?'

Thank You for posing thoughtful questions.

I will need some time to think about it.

[nate91han]

@christophmahler as a german historian, what is your opinion of the deutsches kaiserriech from 1871-1914? Was kleindeutschland the best route to unification? Do you think that the gov't should have done more to aid small industry/farming as well as big business? What are german views on bismarck's anti-socialist and kulturkampf campaigns? Were socialists in the Reichstag too eager to support nationalism over their constituency? Did the kaiser's influence accurately reflect prussian tradition?

[KasveLipiel09]

We shall watch this film and note down the main theses and the questions at the end of this shórt film. Can someone tell me something about the author for my background knowledge?

Und wenn jemand aus meinem Kurs dies liest, so grüße ich ihn^^

[christophmahler]

I am not sure to which Oliver You refer to - maybe You remember the episode of HISTORY OF BRITAIN about the English Revolution.

In general I still feel woken to life, when reading the medieval aphorism:

«'To know oneself is' according to Apollo, 'practically the highest wisdom'»

("The Metalogicon"; Book IV, Chapter 40; John Salisbury; 1159)

[christophmahler]

Thank You for pointing out towards the work of Ken Burns.

I did not knew him. Obviously the 'Ken Burns effect' in cinematography is worth to take note of - when it comes to historical documentaries.

You would probably recognize a clip from the WORLD AT WAR series in one of my playlists.

[dukes0916]

Tell you what... Ken Burns is great, but Mr. Schama is the master! I fell in love with English Docs with The World At War when I was a kid! And Simon (dare I use his first name!) seems to have brought the art of historic story-telling to its hieght! You make an excellent point about the absense of first-hand references! I can't help but wonder if he was taking a page from Oliver, and presenting a sort of 'impassioned detachment' while offering his accounts for effect.