Hitler's Social Revolution: Class and Status in Nazi Germany, 1933-1939

by David Schoenbaum

Beginning with Germany's social situation after World War I, David Schoenbaum shows how Hitler improvised a program that apparently offered something to everyone--above all, the mirage of a classless society. In fact, the gap between the ideology of the Reich and its actual character was enormous. But under the spell of the mirage, the will to resist was undermined by an accelerating process of social disintegration.

Genres: History, World War II, European History, Sociology

352 pages, Paperback

First published August 8, 1966

About the author

David Schoenbaum, a professional historian and lifelong amateur violinist, has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Economist, and many other publications. His previous books include Hitler’s Social Revolution and The United States and the State of Israel.

Reviews

[Luke Ingram · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing lacks in coherence and direction in places, with Schoenbaum alternating between a barrage of statistics and long run-on sentences. This means the book is more difficult than I would have liked, and I can't say I agree with every argument the book puts forward. Nevertheless, this book fills the hole left in my understanding of pre-war Germany after reading The Vampire Economy, which focuses entirely on business. This book examines different sections of ordinary pre-war German society and how the multitude of state influences and programs changed their experiences, for better or worse.

I picked this up because it is mentioned in the bibliography of Turner's German Big Business and the Rise of Hitler, and Schoenbaum along with Turner is a proponent of the view that the Nazis were, despite some propaganda exalting the farmer and agrarian society, a thoroughly modernizing force for Germany. I think this safely puts any alternative theories to rest given the decline of agriculture and rise of the central towns and metropolises.

[Megan Chalmers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but not relevant

[Colin]

Richard Tedor version

[MisterFweem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review is here:

http://misterfweem.blogspot.com/2011/...

[Allison6876 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for paper for HIST 3729