Germany’s superiority claims coexisted with deep felt vulnerability from past devastation.
Evidence
The Germans saw themselves as superior in character, competence, honor, loyalty, devotion to family, civic organization, and cultural achievements. Superiority has expressed itself in many ways, including proclamations by German intellectuals of German superiority and of their belief in Germany’s right to rule other nations (Craig, 1982; Nathan & Norden, 1960; Staub, 1989a). Partly as a result of tremendous devastation in past wars (Craig, 1982; Mayer, 1955) and lack of unity and statehood until 1871, there was also a deep feeling of vulnerability and shaky self-esteem. Following unification and a brief period of strength, the loss of World War I and the intense life prob lems afterward were a great blow to cultural and societal self-concept. — Leonard S. Newman and Ralph Erber (eds.), Understanding Genocide, 97
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Amidst guilt feelings, Germans attribute the guilt demand to a hostile outside world — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt: International…, 1181
Broader Connections
- Amidst guilt feelings, Germans attribute the guilt demand to a hostile outside world
#qualifies(0.72) — Nyla R. Branscombe and Bertjan Doosje (eds.), Collective Guilt, 1181