The German Reich refers to the German nation-state that existed from 1871 (following the unification of Germany) to 1945 (the fall of the Third Reich). When Nietzsche discusses the German Reich in Twilight of the Idols, he is referring to the German Empire or Second Reich, which lasted from the Germany’s unification to the November Revolution in 1918, when Germany’s government switched from a monarchy to a republic.
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The German Reich Term Timeline in Twilight of the Idols
The timeline below shows where the term The German Reich appears in Twilight of the Idols. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Morality as Anti-Nature
...politics, too—there’s a “self-preserv[ing]” advantage to having an opposing party. For example, the newly formed Reich needs an enemy to make its existence necessary.
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Expeditions of an Untimely Man
It’s a critical time for the German Reich. In contemporary Germany, people live in the moment and advance ideas that lead to “dissolution”...
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