The Modern Scholar: Europe's Dark Journey

The Rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany

By: Professor Beth A. Griech-Polelle

Narrated by: Professor Beth A. Griech-Polelle

In Europe’s Dark Journey, Beth A. Griech-Polelle examines the factors that led to the ascendance of Adolf Hitler during the rebuilding of post-WWI Germany. Moving from the birth of modern Germany through the First World War, Polelle then focuses on Hitler’s early years and the creation of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. Polelle illustrates how Hitler consolidated power—resulting in a society divided against itself and at war with a major portion of the world—and also maintains a special focus on the persecution of the Jewish population, both inside Nazi Germany and in conquered parts of Europe.

©2014 Beth A. Griech-Polelle (P)2014 Crescite Group, LLC

Valuable view of historical background

I appreciated this historian approach to the third row, because it gave the long view from the time before the unification of Germany to Bismarck to World War I to the Weimar republic. It is the type of background that is very necessary and often skipped. A gap was filled in by listening to these courses.

I wish the course was longer!

I gave 5 stars to the story because I learned a lot about the unification of Germany, the Weimar Republic, and some of the methods used by the Nazis to pursue their villainous ends. However, I wish the course had been longer. One 35-minute lecture isn’t enough to cover the Nazis in World War II!

The professor is an excellent speaker. She presented a lot of interesting and useful information about the German background of the Nazi ideology and its subsequent activities in the time she had at her disposal.