"Drang nach osten" is a term that was used in the 19th century to refer to German expansionist policies to expand the "living space" in the struggle with other peoples, primarily the Slavs. This concept was used in Kaiser Germany and nationalist circles to justify the country's foreign policy. In addition, the term is firmly established in Russian historiography.
History of occurrence
The concept of "drang nah osten" first appeared in German history as early as the early Middle Ages in the 8th-13th centuries, when the Germans launched an offensive on the lands of the Baltic Slavs. They sought to gain a foothold in the southern region of the Baltic coast, where there was a fierce struggle between them and the Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians, as well as the Finno-Ugric peoples. In a theoretical form, this concept was finalized in the 12th century, during the reign of Frederick Barbarossa. This emperor pursued an active eastern policy, organizing northern eastern campaigns. During his reign, many peoples were Germanized, including the Slavs and the Baltic states. It should be noted here that the same policy was carried out in the central European regions, primarily in the Austrian direction. However, the Germanization process did not succeed in this direction.
Stages
The meaning of the term "drang nah osten" has historical roots that go back to the time of the movement of peoples in Eastern European countries. Historians conditionally distinguish several migration and offensive waves. The first of them dates back to the 9th century, when the East Frankish feudal lords organized an expansion into the Czech and Croatian lands. The next period is the period of the mature Middle Ages (10-11 centuries), when the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire attacked the Baltic and Polish regions. The third stage is the attack of a number of feudal rulers and princes on Slavic tribes. This time was perhaps the most eventful in the history of the German campaigns. It was at this time that the Teutonic and Livonian Orders and the Order of the Swordsmen sought to extend their power to the East Baltic region. At the same time, not only German knights were active, but also German merchants, who achieved certain successes in this direction, supplanting Russian merchants in Latvia.
Late Middle Ages and modern times
Drang nach osten applied to the expansion of the Germans in the East Slavic lands and in the 16-18 centuries. At this time, a new state was formed in Europe - the Habsburg monarchy, which subjugated Czech, Saxon, Hungarian and other lands. In addition, the Brandenburg House annexed part of the Polish territories after the partition of the Commonwealth. However, this expansion was periodically slowed down due to the active resistance of the Slavic peoples. Among the most famous battles are the Battle of Ice and the Battle of Grunwald. It is significant that the Germans themselves used this term to justify the need for the unification of German lands under the leadership of Prussia.
In the second half of the 19th century, drang nakh osten was a kind of ideological doctrine that suggested a common struggle for the unity of the state during the onslaught on Slavic lands. Initially, it was about economic expansion, as well as the strengthening of German influence in the lands of the empire. Such theories were connected with the fact that in the multinational empire the national liberation movement intensified, and as a reaction the concept of pan-Germanism arose. This new idea received the support of the authorities and was actively used by the Kaiser government at the turn of the century to justify the struggle to expand the sphere of influence.
Spread
The term "drang nah osten" has been used in journalism since the mid-19th century. In our country, it has become widespread since 1865, which was associated with the deterioration of relations between the Russian government and the Baltic Germans. Subsequently, this concept passed into the journalism of other publications (in Poland, the Czech Republic, France). At the same time, the expression began to be used by historians.
War years
The words "drang nah osten" received a new coloring and meaning in connection with the outbreak of the First World War. However, at present they are most often used when it comes to the Great Patriotic War. This is due to the fact that Hitler in his work “Mein Kampf” substantiated the need for the Germans to expand their living space at the expense of Slavic lands. He wrote that their government has the right to occupy foreign territories only because the country had too much population growth that needed to be fed. At the same time, he called for abandoning the policy of expanding trade relations and focusing on the conquest of German domination on the continent. Therefore, domestic historians, as well as a number of researchers from Eastern Europe, use this term to refer to the aggressive policy of the Nazis.
Modern application
In the history of Eastern Europe, the German onslaught became notorious. The East (drang nach osten in the German version) became the main direction of expansion, which was accompanied by both economic exploitation and numerous wars. But in our days the term has not lost its meaning, especially in connection with the aggravated situation in the Slavic states. Moreover, modern political scientists apply this term not only to the Slavic peoples, but also to the eastern direction in general. Many experts have coined the term "American drang nah osten" when it comes to US foreign policy these days. The authors note the desire of the government to participate in events in Ukraine, Syria and other countries. In this regard, this term received a new meaning and is no longer always perceived precisely as German expansion into Slavic lands. However, the last remark is applicable to political science.
In science and politics
In historiography and historical science, the term is still used in the traditional sense. These problems are related to the fact that the eastern direction has always occupied one of the main directions in the politics of European states. A similar situation persists to this day, and, despite calls for peace and attempts to resolve the accumulated contradictions by diplomatic means, the situation remains extremely aggravated in this region. The problem of the eastern countries has always remained particularly relevant, and that is why in our days this region is also included in the concept under consideration. The current geopolitical situation is such that the term "drang nah osten" again begins to be actively used in political vocabulary.