TheGermanstatehadgainedtheeducationalmonopolyoverallofitsunder-
agedsubjectsthorughtheintroductionofcompulsoryschoolinginthecourseof
the 19 thcentury.Basedonearliereffortstoimplementstudent’sbattalions⁷and
theexperienceswiththearduousFrenchresistanceinthewarof 1870 /71theGer-
mancolonelColmarvonderGoltzproposedmilitaryinstructioninthemiddle
schools.Goltzwantedtousetheopportunitytosecurethemobilizationofthe
futureGermansoldiersbystartingintheclassroom.⁸ItwaspartoftheGerman
answertotheFrenchconceptofthelevéeenmasse.Thelatterhadbecomeevi-
dentintheuseofFrenchmilitiadeployedunderthepresidencyofLéonGambet-
taduringthelastphaseoftheFranco-Prussianwarin 1871 .AccordingtoColmar
vonderGoltz,Germanyhadtorespectivelyprepareitsfuturegenerationstofield
asmanytrainedtroopsaspossible.Goltzadvocatedhisideasinhismilitarybest-
seller,TheNationinArms(1883),inwhichhesketchedouttheimageofthe
dawningageoftotalwar.Everyoneinthesocietywastobereadyforthecoming
war.HenceforGoltz,thepreparationandindoctrinationshouldbeginasearlyas
possible.Fortheveteranoftwowars,theadvantagesoftheyouthwerequite
clear,whenheinhumanelystatedthat:
“Itisonlytheyoungthatdepartfromlifewithoutpangs.[...]Theyadvanceintobattlewith
joyandlightheartedness,andbothofthesearenecessaryforthebloodywork.[...][W]e
mustbyexample,byword,andbypen,continuouslyworktowardsthisend,sothatloyalty
towardstheEmperor,passionateloveforthefatherland,determinationnottoshrinkfrom
hardtrials,andself-denialandself-sacrificemaywaxmightierandmightierinourhearts
andthoseofourchildren.”⁹Butthetimehadnotyetcomeforputtingtheseideasintopractice.Thiswas
Goltz’aimafterhisretirementin1911,whenthesocialframeworkinWilhelmine
Germanyhadchangedinhisfavor.
wirunsernSohnBenjamin?EinBuchfürdeutscheVäterundMütter,7thed.(Munich:C.H.Beck,
1910).
Forthisconceptcf.Anonymous,“Jugendwehr,”inBrockhaus’Konversations-Lexikon,vol.9,
14 thed.(Berlin,Wien:F.A.Brockhaus, 190 2),1 02 3.
ColmarvonderGoltz,LeonGambettaundseineArmeen(Berlin:Schneider,1 87 7), 294 etseq.
ColmarvonderGoltz,TheNationinArms,trans.PhilipArthurAshworth(London:W.H.Allen,
188 7), 17 ,3 91.
ChildrenEducationinWilhelmineGermanyandtheMilitaryMind 105