British identity and the German other

British identity evolved through conscious comparisons with foreigners as well as through the cultivation of indigenous social, economic and political institutions. The German other in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Britain, like the French other in previous centuries, provided a psychological path toward unity against a perceived common enemy. Because German stereotypes brought into sharp focus what the British believed themselves not to be, they provided a framework for defining Britishness beyond Britain’s own internal divisions of race, ethnicity, class, religion, gender and politics. Post-World War II devolution and European integration have since revived British internal national divisions. The image of innocuous Old Germany as England’s “poor relation,” a backward cluster of feudal states, gave way during the nineteenth century to the stereotype of New Germany, Britain’s archenemy and imperial rival. After unification in 1871, German economic growth and imperial ambitions became hot topics for commentary in British journals. But the stereotypical “German Michael,” or rustic simpleton, and other images of passive Old Germany lingered on as a “straw man” for alarmists to dispel with New German stereotypes of aggressive militarism and Anglophobic nationalism. Some Germanophobes, however, and many Germanophiles, clung to older stereotypes as a form of escapism or wishful thinking, the former believing that national character deficiencies would foil German ambitions, the latter that German idealism and good sense would eventually resolve Anglo-German disputes. The British entente with France in 1904, and Russia in 1907, ended more than a decade of Anglo-German alliance attempts. These missed opportunities were thwarted by mutual distrust, opposing geopolitical strategies, diplomatic maneuvering and, ultimately, naval rivalry. But national stereotypes in public media also contributed a cultural aspect to Anglo-German diplomatic antagonism. British journalists drew upon a rich heritage of German stereotypes, both for polemical argument and for entertaining a national self-image at the expense of the German other. Stereotypes also gained currency through pseudoscientific racial theories and ethnological hierarchies that constituted the nineteenth-century paradigm of innate national character. Because they encapsulate assumed national difference so effectively, stereotypes in print provide a useful perspective on the interface between national identity, public opinion and policy

German stereotypes in British magazines prior to World War I

The British image of Germany as England\u27s poor relation, a backward cluster of feudal states, gave way during the nineteenth century to the stereotype of England\u27s archenemy and imperial rival. This shift from innocuous Old Germany to menacing New Germany accelerated after German unification in 1871 as German economic growth and imperial ambitions became topics for commentary in British journals. But the stereotypical German Michael, or rustic simpleton, and other images of self-effacing servile, loyal, honest and passive Old Germany lingered on into the late nineteenth century as a straw man for alarmist Germanophobes to dispel with new counter-stereotypes. These included fanatical nationalists, Anglophobic militarists, overbearing officials, know-it-all professors, unscrupulous merchants and indefatigable clerks. Some Germanophobes, however, and many Germanophiles, clung to older stereotypes as a form of escapism or wishful thinking: the former believed that national character deficiencies would foil German ambitions, the latter hoped that German idealism and good sense would eventually triumph over Anglophobic nationalism. The British entente with France in 1904, and Russia in 1907, marked an end to more than a decade of Anglo-German alliance attempts. These supposed missed opportunities were thwarted by mutual distrust, opposing strategic aims, diplomatic maneuvering and, ultimately, naval rivalry. But the strength of public opinion and popular nationalism also limited official moves toward cooperation. Stereotypes contributed to what has become known as the Anglo-German antagonism through their power to encapsulate national differences. British journalists could draw upon a rich heritage of demeaning German stereotypes in order to bolster national self-image at the expense of the German nemesis. Stereotypes also gained unwarranted currency in the public media through pseudoscientific racial theories and ethnological hierarchies that constituted the nineteenth-century paradigm of innate national character differences. The record of stereotypes in print therefore reveals the psychological underpinnings of pre-World War I British attitudes toward Germany and provides a new perspective on the interface between public opinion and national rivalry

On the recovery of the nitrates of uranyl ion and silver (I) ion from laboratory residua

Uranium became known in the same epoch of history that saw the discovery of the planet Uranus. It was so named. Uranium is a rather active element and never occurs free in nature. Its ores include uraninite is by far the most important. This ore is sometimes called pitchblende and has a simplest empirical formula of UO2. Due to the fact that it is always found partially oxidized its composition may range between that of UO2 and U3O8. This latter form contains both tetra and hexavalent uranium. An illustrative structure is given below. It is sometimes regarded as uranyl uranate, which takes the formula (UO2)2UO4. Perhaps the best proposed formula is UO

Fire models and methods to map fuel types: The role of remote sensing.

Understanding fire is essential to improving forest management strategies. More specifically, an accurate knowledge of the spatial distribution of fuels is critical when analyzing, modelling and predicting fire behaviour. First, we review the main concepts and terminology associated with forest fuels and a number of fuel type classifications. Second, we summarize the main techniques employed to map fuel types starting with the most traditional approaches, such as field work, aerial photo interpretation or ecological modelling. We pay special attention to more contemporary techniques, which involve the use of remote sensing systems. In general, remote sensing systems are low-priced, can be regularly updated and are less time-consuming than traditional methods, but they are still facing important limitations. Recent work has shown that the integration of different sources of information andmethods in a complementary way helps to overcome most of these limitations. Further research is encouraged to develop novel and enhanced remote sensing techniques

Time is on our side: On aging

The landscape of aging in Western society is viewed with fear, avoidance, and dissociation. It is approached as a potential wasteland, with homes of the aged disguised from public view and cut off from society. A hermeneutic exploration of the process and meaning of aging, however, reveals greater possibilities for both individual and cultural healing of this important developmental stage. Using the Senex-Puer archetype, the mythic image of Ananke, and Eriksonian theory, this article explores the creative possibilities in the aging landscape that restore to it a sense of order, value, and necessary meaning. © C. G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles

Motives in education, and other essays,

Motives in education.--The French Huguenots in early Florida.--Trees as a means for beautifying our cities.Mode of access: Internet