"REVANCHE FÜR VERSAILLES!" EINE VISION

Zapp, Arthur

Published by Verlag Fritz Kater, Berlin, 1924

About this Item

Octavo, pp. [1-6] 7-153 [154] 155-160: ads, original white wrappers printed in red and black. First edition. Issued as "Freiheit und Kultur, eine neue Romanreihe, Bd. 1." An ironically titled prophetic vision of a second world war by a leftist visionary who perceptively diagnosed Germany's radical nationalist consciousness and the special appeal that nationalist ideas held for youth. A bleak vision critical of German militarism and fearful that the pacifist call for reason and civilization would go unheard due to the superior strength of the anti-pacifist, nationalist forces. The ensuing conflagration exceeds the First World War in its destructiveness. "Only through the horrors of a second world war, Zapp predicted, would mankind finally come to its senses . Despite his pessimism, Zapp ended with the hopeful image of a genuinely desired and effective international union that binds humanity together after learning a bitter lesson from the second world war. The Kulturpartei evolves into the Weltpartei, reflecting the new consciousness that all mankind is tied together. Zapp's last plea was that 'we ought not to consider ourselves civilized until we stop desecrating science and technology by using them to annihilate that which is most valuable to man: life.'" - Fisher. Zapp (1852-1925), an officer in the Prussian army who served in the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), became a pacifist and advocated reconciliation between France and Germany. He was a prolific writer and his novels, short stories and plays were widely read. Fisher, Fantasy and Politics: Visions of the Future in the Weimar Republic, pp. 163-71. Sonja Fritzsche, Science Fiction Literature in East Germany, p. 45. Lexikon 2, p. 271. Bloch (2002) 3453. Not in Nagl. Some foxing to wrappers, mostly rear cover, and first and last leaves, a very good copy. (#133963). Seller Inventory # 133963

Bibliographic Details

Title: "REVANCHE FÜR VERSAILLES!" EINE VISION

Publisher: Verlag Fritz Kater, Berlin

Publication Date: 1924

Binding: Soft cover

Edition: 1st Edition