Spengler, Oswald (1880–1936)

Thomas M. Prince

Oswald Spengler was born in Blankenburg (Harz) in central Germany in 1880, the eldest of four children. As a young man, his family moved to the university city of Halle, where he studied Greek and Latin, mathematics, and the natural sciences. It was during this time, he also began to study the writings of Goethe and Nietzsche. After graduation, he taught mathematics, physical sciences, history, and German literature. However, his heart was not truly in it, and upon receiving a large inheritance in 1911, he left the profession for good. It was about this time that Spengler began to interpret contemporary events as parts of a more “global” trend. He saw the encirclement of Germany by the Entente powers, the increasing polarity ...

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