Butinprocessoftimetheydivergedintoapositionofantagonism。Theircontrastnotonlycameoutasaresultofmoreattentionanddevelopedstudy。Itbecameacute，becauseinthekeencompetitionofFrenchandGermanscholarship，historians，consciouslyandunconsciously，tookupthestandpointofnationalpredilection，andfollowedtheirbiasbackintoancienttimes。
Aug。Thierry，whileprotestingagainsttheexaggerationsofeighteenth-centurysystems，consideredthedevelopmentofEuropeannationsalmostentirelyasanationalstruggleculminatinginconquest，butunderlyingmostfactsinthehistoryofinstitutions。Hebegan，forthesakeofmethod，bytracingtheconflictonEnglishgroundwhereeverythingresolveditselftohiseyeintoopenorhiddenstrifebetweenNormanandSaxon。ButWilliamtheBastard’sinvasionledhimbyacircuitouswaytotherealobjectofhisinterest——tothegradualriseofGallo-RomancivilisationagainsttheTeutonicconquestinFrance：historicaltendenciestowardscentralisedmonarchyandmunicipalbourgeoisiewereconnectedbyhimwiththepresentpoliticalconditionofFranceastheabidinglegacyofGallo-RomancultureMenofgreatpowerandnote，fromRaynouardandB。GuerarddowntoFusteldeCoulangesinourowndays，havefollowedthesametrackwithmoreorlessviolenceandexaggeration。TheyareallatoneintheiranimositytowardsTeutonicinfluenceinthepast，allatoneinlesseningitseffects，andintryingtocollectthescatteredtracesofRomanisminprincipleandapplication。TheGermansdidnotsubmitmeeklytotheonslaught，butwentasfarastheRomanistsontheotherside。Lobell，Waitz，andRoth——tospeakonlyoftheheadsoftheschool——haveheldforthaboutthemightypartwhichtheTeutonshaveplayedinEurope；theyhaveenhancedthebeneficialvalueofGermanicprinciples，andtriedtoshowthatthereisnoreasonforlayingtotheiraccountcertaindarkfactsinthehistoryofEurope。TheGermanistschoolhadtofightitswaynotonlyagainstRomanism，butagainstdiverstenetsoftheRomanticschoolasrepresentedbySavignyandEichhorn，ofwhichRomanistshadavailedthemselves。Thewholedoctrinewastobereconsideredinthelightoftwofundamentalassumptions。Thefoundationsofsociallifeweresoughtnotinaristocracy，butinthecommonfreedomofthemajorityofthepeople：theGermanmiddleclass，the’Burgers，’whoformthestrengthofcontemporaryGermany，lookedtothepasthistoryoftheirraceasvouchingfortheirliberty。
Thedestiniesofthatparticularclassbecamethetestofsocialdevelopment。ThenagainthedisruptivetendencyofGermannationalcharacterwasstoutlydenied，andallthehistoricalinstancesofdisruptionweredemonstratedtobequiteindependentofanyleaningoftherace。InthegreatfermentationofthoughtwhichledindirectlytotheunificationofGermany，thebestmeninthecountryrefusedtobelievethatWesternEuropehadfallentopiecesintofeudalismbecauseTeutonicdevelopmentisdoomedtostrifeandhelplessnessbydeeplyengrainedtraitsofcharacter。GermanscholarshipfoundamostpowerfulallyinthisperiodofitshistoryintheliteratureofkindredEngland：
GermanandEnglishinvestigatorsstoodsidebysideinthesameranks。Kemble，K。Maurer，Freeman，Stubbs，andGneistformthegoodlyarrayoftheGermanistSchoolonEnglishsoil。
Kemble’spositionis，strictlyspeaking，anintermediateone：