Germany knows neither a Glorious Revolution nor a French Revolution. Revolutions remain for the most part only attempted Revolutions -- and these attempts are most often bitter failures. This seminar will read these failed Revolutions through the lens of literary and historical texts: From the Mainzer Republik (1793) through the Revolutions of 1848 and 1918, on through the Nullpunkt of the year 1945 and up to the--perhaps successful--Wende of 1989. Conducted in German.