A concise history of Nazi Germany

271 Pages·2014·3.11 MB·English

by  Joseph W

A ConCise
History of
nAzi GermAny
13_134_Bendersky.indb 1 5/13/13 9:02 AM
13_134_Bendersky.indb 2 5/13/13 9:02 AM
5
A C o nCi s e 4
H i s t o ry o f
9
nAzi GermAny
1
–
Joseph W. Bendersky
9
1
fourth edition
9
1
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Lanham • Boulder • New York • Toronto • Plymouth, UK
13_134_Bendersky.indb 3 5/13/13 9:02 AM
Published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706
www.rowman.com
10 Thornbury Road, Plymouth PL6 7PP, United Kingdom
Copyright © 2014 by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by
any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval
systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who
may quote passages in a review.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bendersky, Joseph W., 1946–
A concise history of Nazi Germany / Joseph W. Bendersky. — Fourth edition.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4422-2268-7 (cloth : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-4422-2269-4
(pbk. : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-4422-2270-0 (electronic) 1. Germany—
Politics and government—1918–1933. 2. Germany—Politics and
government—1933–1945. 3. National socialism. 4. Hitler, Adolf, 1889–1945.
I. Title.
DD240.B348 2014
943.086—dc23
2013011707
™
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for
Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
Printed in the United States of America
13_134_Bendersky.indb 4 5/13/13 9:02 AM
for Carmen
13_134_Bendersky.indb 5 5/13/13 9:02 AM
13_134_Bendersky.indb 6 5/13/13 9:02 AM
Contents
List of illustrations ix
the enduring importance of nazism:
An introduction xi
PArt one
the origins and Development of
nazism, 1919–1928
1 Weimar Democracy in Crisis 3
2 The Rise of Hitler and Nazism 16
3 The Historical Roots of Nazi Ideology 27
4 Party Structure, Propaganda, and Followers during
the “Early Years of Struggle” 40
PArt tWo
the seizure and Consolidation
of Power, 1929–1934
5 Parliamentary Paralysis and the Nazi Breakthrough of 1930 57
6 Hitler’s Legal Path to Power 71
7 The Pseudolegal Revolution 84
vii
13_134_Bendersky.indb 7 5/13/13 9:02 AM
viii / Contents
PArt tHree
the nazification of
German society, 1934–1938
8 The Total State versus the Dual State and Polycracy 99
9 Political Biology, Culture, and Society 112
10 SS Terror, Anti-Semitism, and Resistance to Nazification 130
PArt four
the rise and fall of the
nazi empire in europe, 1933–1945
11 The Führer as Statesman: Ideology and Foreign Policy 149
12 The Führer as Warrior: Victory and Conquest 163
13 From Domination to Retreat 176
14 The Holocaust, Resistance, and Defeat 188
PArt five
the struggle for
Justice and Historical memory
15 From Nuremberg to Vergangenheitsbewältigung 203
16 The Intractable Nazi Legacy in Film: Propaganda and History 207
Chronology 213
subjects recommended for
reading and research 215
index 233
About the Author 241
13_134_Bendersky.indb 8 5/13/13 9:02 AM
iLLustrAtions
figures
Figure 5.1 Reichstag Seats: 1928–1930 Elections 68
Figure 5.2 Growth of Nazi Membership 69
Figure 6.1 Reichstag Seats: July–November 1932 Elections 80
Figure 6.2 Reichstag Elections: Voting Trends, 1928–1933 83
maps
Map 1.1 Germany under the Versailles Treaty, 1919–1936 4
Map 12.1 Peak of Nazi and Axis Domination, 1942 174
Map 14.1 Nazi Extermination Camps 189
Photo Gallery 1—between pages 96 and 97
1. Nazi Storm Troopers on parade.
2. Nazi mass rally at the Berlin Sportpalast.
3. NSDAP Standard: “Germany Awaken.”
4. Hitler as charismatic orator.
5. Reich propaganda minister Josef Goebbels.
6. Storm Troopers advancing with Nazi colors.
7. (Left to right) Deputy Führer Rudolf Hess, Hitler, and Gauleiter Julius
Streicher.
8. Nazi parade through Nuremberg.
9. The annual Nuremberg party rally.
10. Nazi propaganda poster: “Yes, Führer, we will follow you!”
11. Nazi women greet Hitler.
12. The Hitler Youth.
13. Members of the German Girls’ League performing domestic chores.
14. A standard-bearer of the German Girls’ League.
15. Hitler’s motorcade through Nuremberg.
16. Hitler meets with German workers.
ix
13_134_Bendersky.indb 9 5/13/13 9:02 AM