The Weimar Republic

The History of Germany After World War I Before the Rise of the Nazi Party

De: Charles River Editors

Narrado por: Dan Gallagher

The Weimar Republic has become a byword for a failed, tragic, political experiment. The official period of its existence, 1919-1933, marked the interwar 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 In the United States, reliance on the outdated gold standard and an absurdly parsimonious monetary policy helped bring about the Great Depression.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 entities: 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.

The Weimar Republic: The History of Germany After World War I Before the Rise of the Nazi Party chronicles the pivotal events in the years between World War I and Hitler’s ascension to power. You will learn about the Weimar Republic like never before.

©2017 Charles River Editors (P)2018 Charles River Editors

Underwhelming but informative

The book touches on several key historical moments and manages to reproduce a plausible and comprehensive context. It fails however fail to properly narrate the night of broken crystals, the night of long knives and the very interesting Preussenschlag (federal coertion) so key in present times. It does bring light, but not enough. Narrative is excessively third person and makes it hard to relate to clearly linked events happening now. Information is welcome, but more engagement is needed to truly understand and challenge the cyclic degeneration of democracies.

A bit hyperbolic

This presents the standard Manichaean view of history most of us were steeped in. A much better and more balanced presentation is given by Sir Arthur Bryant in his book "Unfinished Victory". But good luck finding that one: doesn't fit the narrative. Fortunately it can be found at archive.org

Needs a good editor and a good fact checker

I am very familiar with the history of Germany in the World War eras. (Among multiple histories of the period, I have read Rise and Fall of the Third Reich three times), so I feel I have some validity in saying this book is poorly written, slim on information and what information it has is questionable. It seems to build to a screed claiming that the minute the Nazis took power they took everybody’s guns away. Any amount of research on the internet will show that this is a dubious statement at best. This book seems to have an agenda in mind. I would like my 2 hours and my $5 back. And it has left a bad taste in my mouth regarding Audible original productions.