The influence of the reformation on the formation of the political elite of Germany

This article is devoted to the problem of the historical heritage of the confessional division of the German lands as a result of the completion of the Reformation in Germany, as well as the specifics of the formation of the national German political elite. The confrontation between the Lutherans and the Calvinists during the years of the Reformation created a solid foundation for the formation of the future strong neo-confessional political parties in Germany, a striking example of which is the party of the Centre. The analysis of the characteristic features of the party system of the Empire of the Hohenzollerns, the features of the models of German conservatism and German liberalism of the 19th century allows us to conclude about the impact of the bi-confessional factor on the process of formation of both the German totalitarianism and the effective democracy of Germany.