Friedrich von Holstein – författare

Friedrich von Holstein (1837-1909) was Bismarck's subordinate at the German Foreign Office. Since his death historians have combined to make him a monster of sinister and self-seeking policy. At various times von Holstein kept diaries, began memoirs, and wrote and received letters, and many of these survive. A selection of this Nachlass, which was first published in volume form between 1955 and 1963, is presented here. The original effect of this publication prompted an entire re-judgement of Bismarck, of German foreign policy at that time and since, and naturally of Holstein himself. The memoirs in this first volume were written in 1883, 1898 and 1906-1909. They include accounts of von Holstein's own career, essays on political subjects and personal impressions. There are fascinating sections on Bismarck, the Franco-Prussian war, and particularly the deterioration of German-British relations. These memoirs were his most formal compositions of this kind.

Friedrich von Holstein (1837-1909) was Bismarck's subordinate at the German Foreign Office. Since his death historians have combined to make him a monster of sinister and self-seeking policy. A selection of his Nachlass, which was first published in volume form between 1955 and 1963, is presented here. The original effect of this publication prompted an entire re-judgement of Bismarck, of German foreign policy at that time and since, and of Holstein himself. Though he had been advised by Bismarck that it was indiscreet to keep a diary, Holstein began to do so in the 1880s, and passed the pages to a cousin as they were completed up to 1886, when they died out. This diary (Volume 2) gives an incomparable fresh and direct description of life in the German foreign ministry at the time as well as Holstein's own mordant comments on the general trend of international politics.

Friedrich von Holstein (1837-1909) was Bismarck's subordinate at the German Foreign Office. Since his death historians have combined to make him a monster of sinister and self-seeking policy. At various times von Holstein kept diaries, began memoirs, and wrote and received letters, and many of these survive. A selection of this Nachlass, which was first published in volume form between 1955 and 1963, is presented here. The original effect of this publication prompted an entire re-judgement of Bismarck, German foreign policy, and of Holstein himself. Volume 3 is the first of two large volumes of correspondence from and to Holstein. These two volumes are an unusually rich source of primary material on German foreign policy of the period. This volume begins with letters written to him at the very beginning of his diplomatic career by his father, and continues to the end of 1896.