The Pan-German Programme: The Petition of the Six Associations and the Manifesto of the Intellectuals

This slim volume contains two of the most consequential political documents from World War I's final year: the Petition of the Six Associations and the Manifesto of the Intellectuals. Together, they articulate the ideological case for Pan-German expansionism in its most explicit form. The Petition, endorsed by major German economic and industrial associations, demands specific territorial acquisitions in France and Belgium, along with colonial possessions in Africa, framing these annexations as essential to Germany's long-term security and economic viability. The Manifesto, signed by prominent German academics and intellectuals, mounts a philosophical defense of German militarism and world leadership, portraying expansion not as aggression but as historical necessity. Edwyn Bevan's translation and contextualizing introduction, published in 1918 as the war's outcome became clear, frames these documents as evidence of a dangerous ideological continuity. The book endures as an essential primary source for understanding the intellectual architecture behind German expansionism, the conflation of national interest with military power, and the nationalist fervor that made the war's continuation possible even as defeat loomed. It remains vital reading for anyone seeking to understand how nationalist ideology shapes political reality.