transformation of war into contests into his framework of the transfor-
mation of Dionysian energies into a livable Apollonian form. There is
the danger, however, that Dionysian energy dissipates once it has
assumed Apollonian forms. Therefore, Nietzsche concluded, in order to
preserve culture it is imperative that its formidable foundation break
forth and, like the lava of a volcano, revive the soil to a state of even
greater fertility. This is how he understood the culturally productive
power of "military genius" (7,347; TGS).
Nietzsche's highest goal was always the flourishing of culture. Of
Burckhardt's three major forces of existence—namely state, religion,
and culture—culture was the highest objective for Nietzsche, who
wanted everything to revolve around it. He was outraged by even the
slightest hint that culture had been subordinated to the objectives of
the state or the economy.
His 1872 lecture series entided "On the Future of Our Educational
Institutions," gave eloquent expression to this outrage. Here Nietzsche
attempted to defend the ideal of development of character against the
economic and political instrumentalization of character formation,
which, in his eyes, had degenerated into mere instruction. Everything
should be subordinated to culture, including the Franco-Prussian War,
which Nietzsche had initially hailed, hoping that it would be able to
revive culture. He wrote to his friend Rohde after deciding to participate
in the war effort: "we will once again need monasteries" (B 3,131).
Nietzsche was not motivated by the triumph of Prussia, the birth of a
strong nation-state, or even chauvinism or hatred of France. When it
became clear to him that victory in war worked to the advantage not of
culture but of the state, money-making, and military conceit, he dis-
tanced himself. On November 7,1870, he wrote to Gersdorff: "I am ter-
ribly concerned about the impending state of culture. If only we do not
have to pay too dearly for the tremendous national success in an area in
which 1, for one, do not want to face any loss. Between you and me, 1
now consider Prussia a power that is extremely dangerous for culture"
(B 3,155). One month later, he confided to his mother: "My sympathies
brent
(Brent)
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