The book offers a systematic analysis of German public opinion at the onset of the Great War, challenging the notion of widespread war enthusiasm. Through an examination of newspapers, politics, and propaganda, it reveals how this myth developed and was perpetuated after the war. Verhey's innovative approach provides fresh insights into the German experience during the conflict and highlights the influence of political myths on modern German political culture.
This is the first systematic analysis of German public opinion at the outbreak of the Great War. Jeffrey Verhey's powerful study demonstrates that the myth of war enthusiasm was historically inaccurate. He also examines the development of the myth in newspapers, politics and propaganda, and the propagation and appropriation of this myth after the war. His innovative analysis sheds new light on German experience of the Great War and on the role of political myths in modern German political culture.