What can we learn from the Germans about remembering the Civil War

[PatYoung]

The New Yorker interviewed philosopher Susan Neiman about what Americans can learn from the post-World War II Germans about remembering and commemorating slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction.

What Can We Learn from the Germans About Remembering the Civil War and Reconstruction

The New Yorker interviewed philosopher Susan Neiman about what Americans can learn from the post-World War II Germans about remembering and commemorating slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction.…

thereconstructionera.com

 

[jgoodguy]

The New Yorker interviewed philosopher Susan Neiman about what Americans can learn from the post-World War II Germans about remembering and commemorating slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction.

What Can We Learn from the Germans About Remembering the Civil War and Reconstruction

The New Yorker interviewed philosopher Susan Neiman about what Americans can learn from the post-World War II Germans about remembering and commemorating slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction.…

thereconstructionera.com

IMHO a crucial difference between post-war Germany and today's American is that Germany was decisively defeated, occupied and divided up while Today's American has not. There is a lot of ought to and a scarcity of decisive drivers.

That said, a hard look at the Antebellum South and Reconstruction is necessary.

 

[PatYoung]

IMHO a crucial difference between post-war Germany and today's American is that Germany was decisively defeated, occupied and divided up while Today's American has not. There is a lot of ought to and a scarcity of decisive drivers.

That said, a hard look at the Antebellum South and Reconstruction is necessary.

The South was decisively defeated.

 

[Jim Klag]

The South was decisively defeated.

Indeed. And their territory was subjected to military occupation and martial law.

 

[PatYoung]

Indeed. And their territory was subjected to military occupation and martial law.

No executions though and no tribunal.

 

[Jim Klag]

No executions though and no tribunal.

Yeah. Too bad.

 

[jgoodguy]

The South was decisively defeated.

Matter of opinion.

The South failed in their objective to protect slavery, but kept their way of life, they were not devastated like the Germans and in a few years were up and running. The South was not occupied by foreigners, nor was it divided into 4 pieces and 2 countries. The first CSA monument went up in 1867 just 2 years after the war. Within eleven years the South was politically powerful enough to end Reconstruction. The South dominated US politics from then until the present. The political elites of the South survived, and were not imprisoned nor executed was were the German political elites.

Most importantly, the folks involved in the Civil War mostly died out a century ago and were gone 70 years ago. The German experience is 80 years more recent.

There are too many differences to be useful IMHO. If there is a cultural change to be made, importing a culture does not seem likely to work to me.

 

[jgoodguy]

No executions though and no tribunal.

A big difference.

The Union occupation was 40,000 for 770,425 sq mi

 

[Kirk's Raider's]

A big difference.

The Union occupation was 40,000 for 770,425 sq mi

Plus very few Union troops. General Thomas admitted in a letter to a Unionist widow that he simply didn't have enough troops to safeguard people from white terrorist groups. Thomas commanded a large district and had only one regiment of cavalry and that regiment was then sent West to fight Indians.
Kirk's Raiders

 

[Kirk's Raider's]

The New Yorker interviewed philosopher Susan Neiman about what Americans can learn from the post-World War II Germans about remembering and commemorating slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction.

What Can We Learn from the Germans About Remembering the Civil War and Reconstruction

The New Yorker interviewed philosopher Susan Neiman about what Americans can learn from the post-World War II Germans about remembering and commemorating slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction.…

thereconstructionera.com

Huge difference in that the West Germans and East Germans didn't glorify the Nazis and removed all too Nazi officials although even East Germany kept mid level officials such has Gestapo officers in their internal security services but they didn't reach in their schools or allowed books plus statute's glorifying their Nazi past vs the American South which did .
Kirk's Raiders

 

[jgoodguy]

So any care to list the simu

Plus very few Union troops. General Thomas admitted in a letter to a Unionist widow that he simply didn't have enough troops to safeguard people from white terrorist groups. Thomas commanded a large district and had only one regiment of cavalry and that regiment was then sent West to fight Indians.
Kirk's Raiders

That too plus many of the union troops sympathized with the whites over the former slaves. The war to fight a rebellion, part of which was to make sure slavery was never a political issue again, not for black civil or economic rights. However sad that it took over a century for that to start being an issue and in doing so, destroyed the Democratic party as a political force in the process.

 

[jgoodguy]

Huge difference in that the West Germans and East Germans didn't glorify the Nazis and removed all too Nazi officials although even East Germany kept mid level officials such has Gestapo officers in their internal security services but they didn't reach in their schools or allowed books plus statute's glorifying their Nazi past vs the American South which did .
Kirk's Raiders

Good points. Maybe the question is how is the Civil War and Nazi Germany are alike.


Maybe someone should read some 'how to influence people'and how to sell stuff books instead of trying to shoehorn German history into Black Live Matter.

 

[Kirk's Raider's]

So any care to list the simu

That too plus many of the union troops sympathized with the whites over the former slaves. The war to fight a rebellion, part of which was to make sure slavery was never a political issue again, not for black civil or economic rights. However sad that it took over a century for that to start being an issue and in doing so, destroyed the Democratic party as a political force in the process.

There were so few Union troops that it really didn't matter who they sympathized with. Most of the actual fighting against the KKK was by state militas composed of ex Unionist troops particularly in Arkansas where Former Colonel Monk and and members of the 9th Missouri State Militia joined the Arkansas State Militia for a brief period.
The North Carolina State Troops were led by former Union Colonel George Kirk who commanded the 3rd North Carolina Mounted Infantry Union plus some his veterans and assorted juvenile delinquents from Eastern Tennessee.
In Louisiana there was a brief armed opposition to the Red Shirts by Former Confederate General Longstreet plus black Milita and police many of whom may have been former USCT troopers.
Leftyhunter

 

[Kirk's Raider's]

Good points. Maybe the question is how is the Civil War and Nazi Germany are alike.


Maybe someone should read some 'how to influence people'and how to sell stuff books instead of trying to shoehorn German history into Black Live Matter.

That's sounds like a new thread. Which I shall create.
Leftyhunter