Tacticus' Germania and the German Image

     Reading about Tacticus' Germania I was struck with how important this book was to the creation of a German nation. The German lands were considered farther behind technologically and culturally compared to their European counterparts, with many European's considering the German people lesser. With the rediscovery of the book, the German people could be described as loyal, brave, and plain-living. This must have done wonders for the self esteem of the people living there. I could only imagine how exciting it would be to live in Germany at this time; going from a loose collective of related states to having a sense of nationality, all within the time of a single generation. Germania did wonders for the creation of a German image, one that anyone within the German lands could be proud of and work towards spreading. It gave them something to work for, whether or not the
actual book itself was very accurate.

The Germania, the book that led to the recognition of a German Nationality

     I think that the rediscovery of Germania can say something about modern Germans as well. In movies and T.V. shows, Germans are always proud of their heritage, excluding of course the Holocaust. Living in America, we have all born witness to similar displays of pride in our national heritage (i.e. the Fourth of July), but with Germans my observation is that many take pride in their heritage more deeply. In America, heritage is about beating an opponent and gaining freedom, as well as the conquest of other nations and "freeing" them from oppression. I believe that German pride stems more from the accomplishments of the people as opposed to military successes. German people take pride in the things that they made, the adversity they overcame, and the lasting contributions that they made to the rest of the world. Modern America, in my opinion, could not be more different. Instead of investing in jobs for American citizens, big corporations move jobs overseas and outsource. Everything is made in China, not in the U.S. Instead of taking pride in overcoming adversity, American's complain about their current situation and how it was much better "back in the day". It is hard for American's to make a lasting impression on the world when obesity rates are increasing and heart disease kills people before they can do anything worthwhile.

Can America remain a global leader if our national image is under scrutiny?

I think that Americans can learn a thing or two from the German people when it comes to heritage. In days where different people are living together in a fast paced world, it is still important to recognize that we all live within one country, and establishing a national image we can be proud of is very important. During World War II, our country was able to band together to manufacture war goods, lead a successful war campaign, and bring peace to the world. This led to a strong national image. While there may not be any World Wars again, we can still create a strong national image by coming together to solve our growing health issues, solving problems and working together on Capitol Hill, and stabilizing our economy. If we could create a strong national image like the Germans, maybe people would once again have a legitimate reason to be proud of their American heritage and its image.

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