Treitschke was born inDresden. He was the son of an officer in theSaxonarmy who rose to be governor ofKnigsteinand military governor of Dresden. Treitschke went deaf at a young age, and so was prevented from entering public service. After studying at the universities ofLeipzigandBonn, where he was a student ofFriedrich Christoph Dahlmann, he established himself as aPrivatdozentat Leipzig, lecturing on history and politics. At one point he became very popular with the students, but his political opinions made it impossible for the Saxon government to appoint him to a professorship.At that time Treitschke was a strong Liberal; he hoped to see Germany united into a single state with aparliamentary government, and all the smaller states swept away. In one statement he said: "Every virile people has established colonial power. All great nations in the fullness of their strength have desired to set their mark upon barbarian lands and those who fail to participate in this great rivalry will play a pitiable role in time to come." This harsh statement reflects his increasing aggressiveness of European nationalism afterOtto von Bismarck's wars toward theunification of Germany. It also discusses theSocial Darwiniantheories of brutal competition among races. In an essay published in 1862, Treitschke praised the "pitiless racial struggle" of Germans against Lithuanians, Poles and Old Prussians;he claimed that "magic" emaneted from "eastern German soil" which had been "fertilised" by "noble German blood". While his main objective was to give historical legitimisation to germanising of Poles that found themselves under Prussian rule, the praise of a mythical migration eastward conducted by German ancestors would eventually become a means of legitimising claims to further eastern territories.[2]In 1863 he was appointed professor atFreiburg; in 1866, at the outbreak of theAustro-Prussian War, his sympathies with theKingdom of Prussiawere so strong that he went to Berlin, became a Prussian subject, and was appointed editor of thePreussische Jahrbcher. His violent article, in which he demanded the annexation of the Kingdoms ofHanoverandSaxony, and attacked with great bitterness theSaxon royal house, led to an estrangement from his father, a personal friend of the king. It was only equalled in its ill humour by his attacks onBavariain 1870. After holding appointments atKielandHeidelberg, he was made professor atHumboldt Universityin Berlin in 1874.Political career[edit]In 1871, Treitschke became a member of theReichstag, and from that time till his death he was one of the most prominent figures in Berlin.OnHeinrich von Sybel's death Treitschke succeeded him as editor of theHistorische Zeitschrift. He had outgrown his early Liberalism and become the chiefpanegyristof theHouse of Hohenzollern. He made violent and influential attacks on all opinions and all parties which appeared in any way to be injurious to the rising power of Germany. He supported the government in its attempts to subdue by legislation the Socialists,PolesandCatholics(Kulturkampf).As a strong advocate ofcolonial expansionTreitschke was a bitter enemy of theBritish Empire. He was to a large extent responsible for thechauvinisticanti-Britishfeeling of the last years of the 19th century.In the Reichstag Treitschke had originally been a member of theNational Liberal Party, but in 1879 he was the first to accept the new commercial policy ofBismarck, and in his later years he joined the Moderate Conservatives, though his deafness prevented him from taking a prominent part in debate.Treitschke was one of the few important public figures who supportedantisemiticattacks which became prevalent from 1878 onwards. He accusedGerman Jewsof refusing to assimilate into German culture and society, and attacked the flow of Jewish immigrants fromRussian Poland. Treitschke popularized the phrase "Die Juden sind unser Unglck!" ("The Jews are our misfortune!"), which was adopted as a motto by theNazipublicationDer Strmerseveral decades later. He made several antisemitic remarks such asThe Jews at one time played a necessary role in German history, because of their ability in the management of money. But now that the Aryans have become accustomed to the idiosyncrasies of finance, the Jews are no longer necessary. The international Jew, hidden in tile mask of different nationalities, is a disintegrating influence; he can be of no further use to the world.[3]Because of his respected status, Treitschke's remarks aroused widespread controversy.[4]Treitschke was held in high regard by political elites of Prussia and ChancellorBernhard von Blowpersonally declared that he kept a copy of von Treitschke'sBOOKfor "several years" on his desk.[5]In 1896, Treitschke died in Berlin at the age of 61. He is buried at theAlter St.-Matthus-Kirchhof Berlin. In 2003, the bust of Treitschke was stolen from his tombstone. At last report, it has not been recovered.[6]Throughout his life, Treitschke supported the idea of war and racism, going as far as praising conquest of other nations and eradication of those who perish, writing "Brave peoples expand, cowardly peoples perish." and claiming that people of African heritage are "inferior"[7][8][9]Supporting the idea of humiliating conquered nations he wrote "In the unhappy clash between races, inspired by fierce mutual enmity, the blood-stained savagery of quick war of annihilation is more humane, less revolting, than the specious clemency of sloth which keeps the vanquished in a state of brute beasts", and his works were late