s Grossen_ (Berlin, 1833, and other
editions), a book which still remains probably the best work on the
subject. It was in some ways the herald of a new school of German
historical thought, for it shows that idealization of power and success
which he had learnt from the teaching of Hegel. It was followed by other
volumes dealing with the successors of Alexander, published under the
title of _Geschichte des Hellenismus_ (Hamburg, 1836-1843). A new and
revised edition of the whole work was published in 1885; it has been
translated into French, but not into English.

In 1840 Droysen was appointed professor of history at Kiel. He was at
once attracted into the political movement for the defence of the rights
of the Elbe duchies, of which Kiel was the centre. Like his predecessor
F. C. Dahlmann, he placed his historical learning at the service of the
estates of Schleswig-Holstein and composed the address of 1844, in which
the estates protested against the claim of the king of Denmark to alter
the law of succession in the duchies. In 1848 he was elected a member of
the Frankfort parliament, and acted as secretary to the committee for
drawing up the constitution. He was a determined supporter of Prussian
ascendancy, and was one of the first members to retire after the king of
Prussia refused the imperial crown in 1849. During the next two years he
continued to support the cause of the duchies, and in 1850, with Carl
Samwer, he published a history of the dealings of Denmark with
Schleswig-Holstein, _Die Herzogthumer Schleswig-Holstein und das
Kunigreich Danemark seit dem Jahre 1806_ (Hamburg, 1850). A translation
was published in London in the same year under the title _The Policy of
Denmark towards the Duchies of Schleswig-Holstein_. The work was one of
great political importance, and had much to do with the formation of
German public opinion on the rights of the duchies in their struggle
with Denmark.

After 1851 it was impossible for him to remain at Kiel, and he was
appointed to a professorship at Jena; in 1859 he was called to Berlin,
where he remained till his death. In his later years he was almost
entirely occupied with Prussian history. In 1851 he brought out a life
of Count Yorck von Wartenburg (Berlin, 1851-1852, and many later
editions), one of the best biographies in the German language, and then
began his great work on the _Geschichte der preussischen Politik_
(Berlin, 1855-1886). Seven volumes were published, th