題目 1 · Source Comparison
15 分Read the sources below and answer the question that follows.
**Source A**
Prussia must gather its forces and hold them in readiness for the favorable moment, which has already been missed several times. Prussia's boundaries according to the Vienna treaties are not favorable to a healthy state life. The great questions of the time will not be resolved by speeches and majority decisions—that was the great mistake of 1848 and 1849—but by iron and blood. We do not seek a conflict with the parliament, but we must protect the Crown's rights and the army reform. The Prussian monarchy has not yet completed its mission; it is not yet ready to become a mere decoration for a parliamentary system.
*From Otto von Bismarck's 'Blood and Iron' speech to the Budget Committee of the Prussian Chamber of Deputies, 30 September 1862.*
**Source B**
The appointment of Herr von Bismarck-Schönhausen as Minister-President is a direct challenge to the constitution and the deputies of the Prussian people. His first appearances before the Landtag have confirmed our worst fears: he treats the parliament with undisguised contempt and mocks the rights of the representatives of the nation. His claim that 'blood and iron' will solve the great German question is a dangerous, autocratic delusion. He seeks to subvert the constitution and rule without a budget, sacrificing our civic liberties to build a militarized state. Prussia cannot achieve its great destiny in Germany through the brutal imposition of royal absolutism, but only by standing at the head of a free, constitutional, and law-governed nation.
*From a letter by Rudolf von Gneist, a leading member of the liberal Progressive Party in the Prussian Landtag, October 1862.*
**Question**
Compare and contrast the views expressed in Sources A and B regarding how Prussia should achieve its goals.
**Source A**
Prussia must gather its forces and hold them in readiness for the favorable moment, which has already been missed several times. Prussia's boundaries according to the Vienna treaties are not favorable to a healthy state life. The great questions of the time will not be resolved by speeches and majority decisions—that was the great mistake of 1848 and 1849—but by iron and blood. We do not seek a conflict with the parliament, but we must protect the Crown's rights and the army reform. The Prussian monarchy has not yet completed its mission; it is not yet ready to become a mere decoration for a parliamentary system.
*From Otto von Bismarck's 'Blood and Iron' speech to the Budget Committee of the Prussian Chamber of Deputies, 30 September 1862.*
**Source B**
The appointment of Herr von Bismarck-Schönhausen as Minister-President is a direct challenge to the constitution and the deputies of the Prussian people. His first appearances before the Landtag have confirmed our worst fears: he treats the parliament with undisguised contempt and mocks the rights of the representatives of the nation. His claim that 'blood and iron' will solve the great German question is a dangerous, autocratic delusion. He seeks to subvert the constitution and rule without a budget, sacrificing our civic liberties to build a militarized state. Prussia cannot achieve its great destiny in Germany through the brutal imposition of royal absolutism, but only by standing at the head of a free, constitutional, and law-governed nation.
*From a letter by Rudolf von Gneist, a leading member of the liberal Progressive Party in the Prussian Landtag, October 1862.*
**Question**
Compare and contrast the views expressed in Sources A and B regarding how Prussia should achieve its goals.
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解題
**Analysis of Agreements:**
- Both sources acknowledge that Prussia has a major historical mission or 'destiny' to fulfill in Germany. Source A states that 'Prussia's boundaries... are not favorable' and its 'mission' is incomplete, while Source B references 'Prussia's great destiny in Germany'.
- Both sources agree that the primary strategy put forward by the executive involves militarism and force (the concept of 'blood and iron' is explicitly referenced in both sources).
**Analysis of Disagreements:**
- **On the Role of Parliament vs. Executive:** Source A argues that key national issues cannot be resolved by 'speeches and majority decisions' and rejects the subordination of the monarchy to a 'parliamentary system'. Source B, conversely, insists on the primacy of the constitution, condemning Bismarck's disregard for parliament and budget-making as 'a direct challenge to the constitution'.
- **On the Nature of Prussian Leadership:** Source A argues that military strength ('iron and blood') is the only practical path forward. Source B rejects this 'autocratic delusion' and insists that Prussia's leadership in Germany must be achieved by setting a moral example as a 'free, constitutional, and law-governed nation'.
**Contextual Evaluation:**
- **Source A** reflects Bismarck's immediate perspective as the newly appointed Minister-President during the Prussian Constitutional Crisis of 1862. Speaking to a hostile, liberal-dominated Budget Committee, Bismarck's tone is assertive and realistic; he aims to justify bypassing parliament to fund military reforms that he believes are essential for Prussian expansion.
- **Source B** reflects the reaction of the liberal Progressive Party (the majority in the Landtag) to Bismarck's appointment and rhetoric. Writing in October 1862, Gneist expresses the deep-seated liberal fear that Bismarck's methods represent a return to royal absolutism, which would not only destroy Prussian civic liberties but also alienate other German states that might otherwise support a liberal-led unification.
- Both sources acknowledge that Prussia has a major historical mission or 'destiny' to fulfill in Germany. Source A states that 'Prussia's boundaries... are not favorable' and its 'mission' is incomplete, while Source B references 'Prussia's great destiny in Germany'.
- Both sources agree that the primary strategy put forward by the executive involves militarism and force (the concept of 'blood and iron' is explicitly referenced in both sources).
**Analysis of Disagreements:**
- **On the Role of Parliament vs. Executive:** Source A argues that key national issues cannot be resolved by 'speeches and majority decisions' and rejects the subordination of the monarchy to a 'parliamentary system'. Source B, conversely, insists on the primacy of the constitution, condemning Bismarck's disregard for parliament and budget-making as 'a direct challenge to the constitution'.
- **On the Nature of Prussian Leadership:** Source A argues that military strength ('iron and blood') is the only practical path forward. Source B rejects this 'autocratic delusion' and insists that Prussia's leadership in Germany must be achieved by setting a moral example as a 'free, constitutional, and law-governed nation'.
**Contextual Evaluation:**
- **Source A** reflects Bismarck's immediate perspective as the newly appointed Minister-President during the Prussian Constitutional Crisis of 1862. Speaking to a hostile, liberal-dominated Budget Committee, Bismarck's tone is assertive and realistic; he aims to justify bypassing parliament to fund military reforms that he believes are essential for Prussian expansion.
- **Source B** reflects the reaction of the liberal Progressive Party (the majority in the Landtag) to Bismarck's appointment and rhetoric. Writing in October 1862, Gneist expresses the deep-seated liberal fear that Bismarck's methods represent a return to royal absolutism, which would not only destroy Prussian civic liberties but also alienate other German states that might otherwise support a liberal-led unification.
評分準則
**Level 4 (12–15 marks):** Identifies clear similarities and differences between the sources regarding how Prussia should achieve its goals. Evaluates the sources using historical context or provenance (such as the Prussian Constitutional Crisis of 1862 and the clash between Bismarck's realpolitik and Liberal constitutionalism) to explain the reasons for these agreements and disagreements.
**Level 3 (8–11 marks):** Identifies both similarities and differences, but offers limited or weak contextual evaluation; or provides a thorough evaluation but focuses almost entirely on either similarities or differences.
**Level 2 (4–7 marks):** Identifies either similarities or differences, with no effective source evaluation.
**Level 1 (1–3 marks):** Discusses the sources or the topic generally, making superficial comparisons without clear focus on the specific question.
**Level 3 (8–11 marks):** Identifies both similarities and differences, but offers limited or weak contextual evaluation; or provides a thorough evaluation but focuses almost entirely on either similarities or differences.
**Level 2 (4–7 marks):** Identifies either similarities or differences, with no effective source evaluation.
**Level 1 (1–3 marks):** Discusses the sources or the topic generally, making superficial comparisons without clear focus on the specific question.