Hitler and the Nazis: A History in Documents

As a member of H-Net, I regularly receive their reviews of the latest books in my field of interest which is World War II. This is an excellent review which prompted me to purchase this book for my personal library on Nazi Germany. H-NET BOOK REVIEW Published by [email protected] (July 2006) David F. Crew. "Hitler and the Nazis: A History in Documents". Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. 176 pp. Illustrations, index. $36.95 (cloth), ISBN 0-19-515285-9. Reviewed by James Konecke, Teacher Education Department, College Misericordia A Fresh, Concise History of Nazi Germany Told by Its Key Characters "If a prisoner attempts to escape, he is to be shot without warning.... If a unit of prisoners mutinies or revolts, it is too be shot at by all supervising guards. Warning shots are forbidden on principle" (p. 97). This directive, taken from the SS Service Regulations for Prisoner Escorts and Guards in 1933, encapsulates the attitude of National Socialism and its leader. From the moment he entered the political arena to the moment he thrust his nation into war, Adolf Hitler increasingly fired verbal warning shots alerting the world of his desires for territory, ethnic "cleansing" and war. But the horrors of World War I still reverberated throughout Eurasia, drowning out Hitler's warning cries. Consequently, when Hitler repeatedly violated the Treaty of Versailles' sanctions, rather than confront him, the Allies sought to appease him in hopes of averting a repeat of the First World War. By the time they realized Hitler's true intentions, it was too late. Germany had grown far too strong during the interwar years to be defeated quickly or easily. The result: a global conflict responsible for claiming the lives of nearly sixty million individuals begun by a racist regime that ruthlessly repressed, incarcerated and eliminated communists, Sinti and Roma, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals, POWs, the "biologically" unfit and Jews. In his most recent work, "Hitler and the Nazis", David Crew provides a concise and vivid history of this ruthless regime from its origins in German defeat in World War I and in the failure of Weimar democracy to its downfall in World War II and its evaluation by the world in the post-Nazi era. Seven short chapters make up "Hitler and the Nazis". Chapter 1 lists and describes the events that allowed National Socialists to come into power in Germany: German defeat in World War I; the failure of Weimar democracy; the economic troubles of the Great Depression; the Nazis' ability to garner the favor of citizens unhappy with the chaotic political situation; and the overwhelming desire of leaders in business, agriculture, the military, and the government (as well as ordinary voters) for a strong authoritarian leader. These factors all contributed to Hitler's meteoric rise to power. Chapter 2 details this ascent, focusing on Hitler's oratorical gifts, the strength of the SA and the youthful, forceful image of the