The Weimar Years

Rise and Fall 1918-1933

By: Frank McDonough

Narrated by: Paul McGann

Bloomsbury presents The Weimar Years by Frank McDonough, read by Paul McGann.

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Established in 1918–19, in the wake of Germany’s catastrophic defeat in the First World War and the revolution that followed swiftly on its heels, the Weimar Republic ushered in widespread social reform, a radical cultural flowering and the most democratic conditions the German people had ever known.

At its beginning, Weimar held out the hope that democracy, stability and prosperity would take root in Germany, but it was beset by frequent changes of government, waves of economic upheaval and spasms of violence of increasing intensity between the forces of left and right. Agitation and assassination by rightwing nationalists – enraged by the severity of the Treaty of Versailles and the acceptance of its terms by liberal German politicians – formed a threatening descant to the conciliatory efforts of successive coalition governments. Ultimately, the instabilities of Weimar would lead to the appointment as German Chancellor of the Nazi Fu¨hrer Adolf Hitler, who created a one-party dictatorship that abandoned the rule of law, democracy and civil rights. In the words of Gustav Stresemann, Germany’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning Foreign Minister from 1923 to 1929, Weimar democracy was ‘dancing on a volcano’.

The Weimar Years is a vivid and compelling narrative of a dramatic period in German history. Year by year, from 1918 to 1933, Frank McDonough covers the major events in both domestic and foreign policy and the personalities who shaped them, together with developments in music, art, theatre and literature. McDonough places particular focus on the parliamentary history of Weimar, arguing that it was the failure of parliamentary democracy to bring stability that eroded public confidence and allowed the power of the elected Reichstag to gradually diminish, culminating in Hitler’s accession to power in January 1933.

The Weimar Years is the tragic story of a rise and fall, as well as a warning of how, under poor leadership, economic pressure and unrelenting political volatility, a democracy can drift towards a form of authoritarian rule that eventually destroys it.©2023 Frank McDonough (P)2023 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Brilliant dissection of the road to Hitler’s rise to power.

What an extraordinary listening experience ! What a cautionary tale! How little I knew about the Weimar years in Germany. Thanks to listening to this tour de force of historical analysis, I understand the past and the present a million times better - how mistakes made by so many leaders between 1917 and 1933 paved the path inexorably to A Second World War in which more than 40 million people died in the European theatre of war. Leaders matter! Hindenburg, according to the author, was the primary cause of the collapse of the democratic government of the Weimar Republic, and the ascension of Hitler as Chancellor on January 30, 1933. I had never understood how rational, good people voted for Hitler in democratic elections. After reading this book, I understand how this was possible, how the choices people make lead to their own tragic downfall, and to ruin and destruction for all.

Great subject, too many confusing political party names

Mostly about the many political parties with similar names, some about the culture and economics.

The details

Loved this book. Very detailed, but doesn’t get lost in the weeds. A very relevant book.

A thorough explanation of the Weimar republic

My review truly has nothing to do with the book rather the audio. I must’ve hit rewind no less than 100 times because the voice of the narrator, trailed off to such a low volume at the end of so many sentences that it negatively impacted from the experience.

An excellent history of the time period

This is a very detailed, systematic study of the Weimar Era. I really enjoyed the fact that it was divided by years instead of themes.
I wish I could give it a sixth star for its analysis of my favorite movie (Metropolis).
As an added bonus, Paul McGann’s narration is superb. His pronunciation of the various German words and phrases is flawless and unfaltering. Often when narrators come to foreign text in a book, they pause briefly or seem to stumble; not so with Paul McGann.
I definitely recommend The Weimar Years to anyone interested in either the time period or history in general.