Matthias Erzberger (18751921) war der einflußreichste Abgeordnete der spätwilhelminischen Zeit. Bei Ausbruch des 1. Weltkriegs wurde er von der Regierung zum Leiter der »Zentralstelle für Auslandsdienst« berufen. Über seine zahlreichen Besprechungen und Reisen in halb Europa machte er sich detaillierte Aufzeichnungen. Sie decken die Weltkriegsjahre ab, brechen aber 1918/19 ab, als Erzberger Mitglied der Reichsregierung wurde. Das Gros der hier vorgelegten Quellen ist bislang unveröffentlicht.

»Matthias Erzberger at the Loom of History. Notes and Letters from his Private Papers 1914 1918/19«: Matthias Erzberger (18751921) was the most influential member oft he German Reichstag from 1905 until his death. At the beginning of World War I the Berlin government appointed him head of the »Central Agency for Foreign Intelligence«. This opened him the doors to the capitals of half of Europe. His private papers cover the years of the War, but break off in 1918/9 when he became member of the German government. Most oft he papers presented here were hitherto unpublished. They document Erzberger's prominent political role and also the years of the Great War in general.

Autorentext

Winfried Baumgart is Prof. emer. at Mainz University, Germany. He lectured at the universities of Bonn, Mainz, Washington D.C., Paris IV and Riga. He specialises in the history of international relations of the 19th and 20th centuries. His major works are on the peace of Brest-Litovsk in 1918, the peace of Paris in 1856, a handbook on international relations between 1830 and 1878, a bibliography of German history (18 editions) and a dictionary of historical and political terms of the 19th and 20th centuries (in 3 languages). He is also editor of the papers of various prominent figures of German 19th and 20th century history. In 2007 and 2024 he also published vol. 7 and 12 of the 'Auswärtige Politik Preußens' ('The Foreign Policy of Prussia' )1866 and 1869-71.

Inhalt
Einleitung Verzeichnis der weniger gebräuchlichen Abkürzungen Dokumentenverzeichnis Dokumente Verzeichnis der Quellen und der Literatur Register