November 1918

The German Revolution

By: Robert Gerwarth

Narrated by: Michael Page

Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

The German Revolution of November 1918 is nowadays largely forgotten outside Germany. It is generally regarded as a failure even by those who have heard of it, a missed opportunity that paved the way for the rise of the Nazis and the catastrophe to come.

Robert Gerwarth argues here that to view the German Revolution in this way is a serious misjudgment. Not only did it bring down the authoritarian monarchy of the Hohenzollern, it also brought into being the first ever German democracy in an amazingly bloodless way.

Focusing on the dramatic events between the last months of the First World War in 1918 and Hitler's Munich Putsch of 1923, Robert Gerwarth illuminates the fundamental and deep-seated ways in which the November Revolution changed Germany. In doing so, he reminds us that, while it is easy with the benefit of hindsight to write off the 1918 Revolution as a "failure", this failure was not somehow preordained. In 1918, the fate of the German Revolution remained very much an open book.

©2020 Robert Gerwarth (P)2020 Tantor

A weak defense of Weimar

Thesis is Weimar Republic was actually a sort of success. Good overall chronologically. Uses many of the usual translated into English sources. A few modern, trendy musings but very weak on KPD doings and the destabilizing role of violent proto Nazi groups. VERY weak on economic history.

Thought provoking and informative

In the past few years, there have been a lot of great books dealing with the period before, during and after the First World War, in tribute to its centenary. This story of the fate of Germany in the wake of defeat, fits nicely with those other books regarding Austria-Hungary, the Ottomans, Balkans, etc. I suppose it's my own fault if my education of the era had been as reductive as Franz Ferdinand-> trenches-> mustard gas-> Treaty of Versailles-> beer hall putsch-> rise of the Nazis. And it wouldn't do these histories justice to call them merely gap fillers. Altogether they give a very rich, enlightening view on a massively complex story. Even in this book, the various motivations of Wilson, Clemenceau and Lloyd George, are investigated, as well as the hypocrisy of the collective Allied moralizing to defeated Germany about colonialism and self-determination. In addition, there's a strain of 'what could have been' with Weimar. Even surviving numerous challenges, there seems always to be endless bad actors seeking to undermine and ultimately destroy any progressive governments. We still see it today.

Fresh Historical Perspective

This was an informative and interesting narrative. I learned a great deal about WWI and the Central Powers, and of course, German history. The case for a stable Democracy during Weimar was not as strong as I hoped, but also not unreasonable. Economic Depression can kill any political gains, even when they are externally imposed. I think we have more to learn about international politics and would have liked more discussion on this area.