Nationen im Gleichschritt: Der Kult der "Nation in Waffen" in Deutschland und Frankreich, 1871-1914

With this work, Jakob Vogel presents a new contribution to the field of Franco-German historical studies, exemplary in the analysis of his extensive source material and in the pre-eminence of the comparison. Vogel focuses on the outmoded fascination of national military festivals, which, on both sides of the Rhine, brought together citizens and workers, the heads of state, society, and the military, in enthusiasm for colorful uniforms, parades and marching music in demonstrative harmony. He interprets Aufsmarsch (deployment) as an official cult of the "nation in arms," which in both states was created after the fundamental political revisions between the wake of the Franco-Prussian War and the symbolic integration of the newly-established regimes.