Military Enthusiasm as Reflected in Franconian Children’s Books, 1870–1918
Exhibition at the University Library Erlangen-Nürnberg (UB), Exhibition Room of the Main Library in Erlangen
November 10–28, 2014
The exhibition “Gloria, Viktoria! Militärbegeisterung im Spiegel fränkischer Kinderbücher 1870-1918″ (“Gloria, Viktoria! Military Enthusiasm as Reflected in Franconian Children’s Books, 1870–1918”) offered an overview of military-patriotic and war-glorifying youth, children’s, and picture books from the years following the Franco-Prussian War through the end of World War I.
Enthusiasm for the military was prevalent in virtually every aspect of life in the German Empire. Historically speaking, this is entirely understandable. Without the victories against Denmark (1864) and Bavaria and Austria (1866), Prussia would never have secured its dominant position in the German and North German confederations. The victory over Napoleon III in the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71) made the German Empire’s founding possible. These military and political successes led to the belief that war was an acceptable means of achieving political goals and fostered an awareness of the nation’s military prowess and the importance of soldiering.
This view also influenced the educational philosophy of the time. The goal was to instill a “patriotic” consciousness in children and promote German virtues such as order, diligence, punctuality, honor, duty, and love of country. The military was portrayed extremely positively in many children’s books and was recommended to boys as a role model through play. In books for young people, as well as in children’s books and even picture books, war and soldier games were featured in text and illustrations. Boys were often depicted in uniform with appropriate military accessories. Verse was often chosen for the text because it was easy for children to remember, and it encouraged them to memorize these songs and poems.
World War I marked the natural culmination of this trend. Never before had so many children’s books about war, patriotism, and military life been published as between 1914 and 1918.