For country through science: nationalism and German scientists in the early twentieth century

Abstract

This chapter traces the history of the community of elite German natural scientists in the early twentieth century through the scientists’ nationalism and participation in World War I. Many leading German scientists sacrificed their research interests, international reputations, and scholarly freedom for harsh war work that military officers largely did not respect. In analysing their actions and writings, and the text of the 1914 “Call to the Civilized World,” the chapter describes scientists’ commitment to a collectivistic nationalism and compares the statements of German and British scientists. The scientists’ post-1918 crises and transformed identities further highlight the significance of nationalism in shaping the early twentieth-century German scientists’ work and careers.