Hitler and the Collapse of Weimar Germany

by Martin Broszat, Volker R. Berghahn

The only comprehensive and up-to-date analysis of the most fateful period in modern German history between 1929-1933.

Genres: History

168 pages, Paperback

First published February 25, 1987

Reviews

[Lewis Weinstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clear, crisp and perhaps the most complete account of the last days of the Weimar Republic. Covers all of the intrigues between Hitler and the leaders of Weimar - Hindenburg, Bruning, Schleicher, and Papen. Shows clearly both the slippery slope that led to totalitarian dictatorship and the series of opportunities to prevent it, lost one by one due to a lack of imagination, an inability to compromise, and an absence of political energy. When opposed to Hitler's relentless and, it must be admitted, brilliant political propaganda, organization, and maneuvering, the more moderate forces just gave up. Perhaps they under-estimated Hitler's ability and his evil, or perhaps they just didn't have it in them to keep fighting, or both.

There are other lessons for us today ...

... Chancellor Bruning was convinced Germany's public finances could only be put in order again if the country went through a long period of utmost parsimony and public expenditure cuts … these programs were not successful ... There were demands heard from the German public to address the financial crisis with the help of public works programs and deficit spending policy ... these demands were ignored by Weimar, but were later implemented by the Nazis.

LMW: sound familiar? The policies of austerity during economic downturn are just as futile and counter-productive today as they were in 1930s Germany.

... local elections in Thuringia on Dec 4 1932 were catastrophic for the Nazis … lost 15% from previous election … membership cards were being returned … intra-party criticism was mounting … party finances were in a precarious state … there was mounting tension within the Nazi movement.

LMW: the Nazi electoral support may well have peaked. Had Weimar hung on a little longer, it might have survived. But less than two months after that disastrous election loss, Hitler was Chancellor.

[Supriyo Chaudhuri]

This is a short book by one of Germany's leading postwar historians, about the late Weimar period and its dissolution. This is a deeply insightful narrative, best read in conjunction with Turner's more narrowly focused history of the immediate run-up to Hitler being appointed Chancellor, and this one takes into account broader political trends and transformation of Germany through economic failures and actions of its conservative ruling class.

[Sean Chick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a superb run down of the political, racial, economic, historical, ideological, and personal factors that allowed the Nazis to seize power in Germany. Books like this remind one that history is made by the combination of contingency, impersonal forces, and most of all personal choice.