A synthesis of Prussian political culture from the Napoleonic era to the Revolution of 1848. The author challenges the conventional notion that Prussia lagged behind Western Europe in its political development. Indeed, after Napoleon, a culture of "enlightened rationalism" began to prevail. Matthew Levinger ... provides a fascinating exploration of Prussian political language in the first half of the nineteenth century, which astutely captures the specificities of the time. He both reframes the agenda for German historians and poses the important comparative questions.