Germany Between the World Wars: The History and Legacy of the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany in the Interwar Period

by Charles River Editors

*Includes pictures *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents The Weimar Republic has become a byword for a failed, tragic, political experiment. The official period of its existence, 1919-1933, marked the inter-war years in Germany and their related uncertainty, chaos and the state’s ultimate collapse. Historians have found the roots of Nazism embedded in the Weimar years and that in the final analysis, Weimar politicians voluntarily handed over power to the man who wrought destruction on an epic scale, Adolf Hitler. Yet the Weimar era encapsulated a number of trends and fissures within German society, as well as the international community. The Weimar Republic was a prisoner of events and in the long run had little power to shape them. Historians are fond of interpreting the past as a tension between human agency, that is to say decision-making, and structural developments that evade individual choices. Both these interpretations are crucial when examining the tumultuous years of Germany’s Weimar Republic. The early 1930s were a tumultuous period for German politics, even in comparison to the ongoing transition to the modern era that caused various forms of chaos throughout the rest of the world. In the United States, reliance on the outdated gold standard and an absurdly parsimonious monetary policy helped bring about the Great Depression. Meanwhile, the Empire of Japan began its ultimately fatal adventurism with the invasion of Manchuria, alienating the rest of the world with the atrocities it committed. Around the same time, Gandhi began his drive for the peaceful independence of India through nonviolent protests against the British. It was in Germany, however, that the strongest seeds of future tragedy were sown. The struggling Weimar Republic had become a breeding ground for extremist politics, including two opposed and powerful authoritarian the right-wing National Socialists and the left-wing KPD Communist Party. As the 1930s dawned, these two totalitarian groups held one another in a temporary stalemate, enabling the fragile ghost of democracy to continue a largely illusory survival for a few more years. That stalemate was broken in dramatic fashion on a bitterly cold night in late February 1933, and it was the Nazis who emerged decisively as the victors. A single act of arson against the famous Reichstag building proved to be the catalyst that propelled Adolf Hitler to victory in the elections of March 1933, which set the German nation irrevocably on the path towards World War II. That war would plunge much of the planet into an existential battle that ultimately cost an estimated 60 million lives. Germany Between the World The History and Legacy of the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany in the Interwar Period chronicles the pivotal events in the years between World War I and World War II. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Germany between the wars like never before.

Genres: History

337 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 29, 2018

About the author

Charles River Editors is an independent publisher of thousands of ebooks on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple iBookstore & provider of original content for third parties.

Reviews

[Myra · Rating 5 out of 5]

So informative in a short book. Succinct.

[Collin MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely interesting. I listened to it, but it’s basically exactly what I wanted from it, if not a little broad in scope. A general concept that I find so interesting is if the people who are a part of history know they will be from the start. With the state of American politics right now, I feel put off by others’ complacency. There’s a lot of people who don’t acknowledge or know just how unprecedented these times are. That’s why I wanted to listen to this, and why I’m glad I did.

[Richard Brylczyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted a good summary of the Weimar Republic and its failure to prevent Hitler's rise to power. This book provided that and also chronicled the path of the Nazis to the start of World War II. People, places, and events during this time period are welldescribed and detailed as needed.

[Chris Scapillato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good overview of Germany after WWI and before the invasion of Poland in September 1939.