ABSTRACT

The German adjective is used in this study to convey the Pan-German Leagues exclusionary nationalism based on a consciously racial definition of German identity. The League often used the term to describe political organizations, movements, or ideas that promoted their specific vision of radical nationalist politics. Germanys defeat in World War I, the November Revolution, and the abdication of the kaiser and the Hohenzollern dynasty changed the Pan-German position dramatically. The establishment of a new democratic government would transform the Pan-German Leagues formally loyal opposition into a complete rejection of the fledgling Weimar Republic. This shift was clearly evident in a document that soon came to be known as the Bamberg Declaration. Cla also chastised segments of the German population. Many who had previously supported the war were partially guilty for their cowardliness and lack of character as the socialist revolution broke out over Germany.