Realpolitik

Everyone speaks of Realpolitik. Very few have read the book that gave the word to the world. First published in 1853 in the aftermath of the Revolutions of 1848, Ludwig von Rochau’s Principles of Realpolitik coined a term that has become widely used in modern discourse, while the work itself has languished in obscurity for decades. In the process, its original meaning has been largely forgotten. This edition, the first ever English translation of the book, restores Rochau’s argument to view and makes possible a direct encounter with the text from which the concept first emerged.Rochau was no detached apologist for power. He had been an enthusiastic supporter of the liberal and national movements of 1848, and their failure forced him to reconsider the very basis of his political thinking. The lesson he drew was that political causes do not triumph because they are morally right, intellectually persuasive, or historically destined to succeed. As in any age, emotions undermine sound judgement. Men mistake their ideals for reality, confuse their hopes with political facts, or assume that the “right” ideas must always win. From such illusions come disappointment, frustration, and failure.Realpolitik is Rochau’s antidote to this confusion. Unless the basic realities of politics are understood, sound judgement in politics is impossible. Politics must begin not with abstract principles but with the forces that shape the state and determine what can be achieved within it. The victory of any political cause is not fated. Without understanding the nature and preconditions of power, even the noblest cause will fail.The Imperium Press edition presents Principles of Realpolitik as a classic statement of political realism and as a central text in the political thought of nineteenth-century Europe. Its central message remains as urgent now as it was in 1853: no political ideal can prevail unless it first learns to reckon with reality. Read more