Overview

From 1815 to 1914, European governments and their political oppositions were engaged in a constant war for the minds of the general population, especially the working classes. The German socialist newspaper, Hamburger Echo, declared on September 27, 1910, In waging our war, we do not throw bombs. Instead we throw our newspapers amongst the masses of the working people. Printing ink is our explosive. The most comprehensive study ever published about European censorship practices during the 1815-1914 period, this book discusses the censorship of books, newspapers, caricatures, theater, and film through an analytical introductory survey and six chapters by leading specialists who summarize 19th-century censorship practices in the six major countries of continental Europe: Germany, Italy, France, Austria, Russia, and Spain. As a result of the massive transformation of European life in the post-Napoleonic period and the simultaneously rapid growth in industrialization, urbanization, literacy, transportation, and communication, the average European emerged quite suddenly as a potential player who could no longer be ignored by the ruling elite.

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9780275964610

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Censorship in 19th-century Europe was a pervasive phenomenon, too often neglected by historians after the post-Napoleonic decade. This volume provides access to the evolution of censorship in six major countries, greatly enriching our knowledge and the potential for comparative analysis. The authors are at pains not just to describe mechanisms, but to assess their impacts and inadequacies. This is an exciting exploration of a key relationship between expanding national states and the changing societies they sought to control. -Peter Stearns Editor of the Journal of Social History Carnegie Mellon University

Author Information

ROBERT JUSTIN GOLDSTEIN is Professor of Political Science at Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan. He previously taught at San Diego State University. He is the author of numerous books and articles focusing on the history of civil liberties in Western democracies, including controversies related to censorship and desecration of the flag.

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