_Das Jahrhundert verstehen - Eine universalhistorische Deutung_

["Bertil Häggman" <bertil.haggman@helsingborg.se>]

Dan Diner, _Das Jahrhundert verstehen - Eine universalhistorische
Deutung_. Muenchen: Luchterhand, 1999, 384 pp.
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Professor Diner's book, published recently in Germany, has
been widely reviewed in the press there. An attempt is made
by the author to interpret the events of this last century of the
second millenium. He deals, of course, to a great extent with
Germany and what has happened in Europe.

For readers of Ernst Juenger this book is of interest. Of course
it is of general interest because of the analytical review of
our century. But it is interesting to note that the first chapter
of the book is headed "Deutungen: Zweierlei Welbuergerkrieg"
and starts:

"Angesichts der Landung amerikanischer Truppen in Nordafrika
vermerkte Ernst Juenger am 10. November 1942 in seinem
Tagebuch, er empfinde der Anteilnahme eines Menschen der
zeitgenössischen Geschichte gegenueber, der sich weniger
in einen Weltkrieg, den in einen 'Weltbuergerkrieg' verwickelt
wisse. Ein derartiger Gegensatz sei von ganz anderer Natur
als die sonsthin von Nationalstaaten untereinander gefuehrten
Kriege. Diese wuerden gleichsam nebenbei erledigt." (p. 21)

And Diner continues by stating that the feeling of the "poet"
Ernst Juenger (as Ernst Juenger mainly published prose,
can the author be thinking of Friedrich-Georg Juenger?) came to be
proven right (that there was a change from world war to
world civil war) as a few months later the allied war leaders
met to decide on unconditional surrender for their opponents.
Those who are interested in the civil war in America 1861-65
may remember "unconditional surrender Grant", who led
the federal forces to victory and later became President Ulysses 
S. Grant. And unconditional surrender is
typical of a civil war (although it can be debated if the
war in America really was a 'civil war' as it was fought
between two governments, one in Richmond and one in
Washington D.C.).

It has been debated if Ernst Juenger was the first to use
the term world civil war. This is probably not so as there
are other contenders. But most important is of course
the validity of the term. That the main conflict of our century
was not between states but between contending ideologies
(as in a civil war).

It may be of interest to to note that Professor Diner
quotes _In Stahlgewittern_ when commenting on WWI:

"Nach Ernst Juenger hatten der Krieg sowie das Leben selbst
neue Gestalt angenommen: Die Maschine trat ihre Herrschaft
an." (p. 40)

Although there are a number of points in which I disagree with
the author, this book can be recommended.

Professor Dan Diner teaches history at the universities
of Tel Aviv and Essen. During the 1990s he has published
several well received books.

Bertil Haggman