The Coming of the Third Reich

As Karl Marx once wrote, people make their own history, but not under conditions of their own choosing. So it is that academic Richard J. Evans from Cambridge University approaches the superb first volume of the planned trilogy of a complete history of the rise and fall of the Third Reich, ?The Coming Of the Third Reich?, recognizing the existential constraints people living in the era of National Socialism faced. As Professor Evans puts it, not only are men constrained and shaped by the unique and quite specific web of cultural and social conditions in which they are enmeshed, but they also view these particular conditions through a particular perspective, and through the prism of a socially prescribed set of values, beliefs, and ideologies. Thus, the author argues that in the vast bibliography of works covering the history of the Nazi era, no one has yet covered the epoch in a fashion that does justice to the complex welter of ways, as sociologist C. Wright Mills would phrase it, in which biography and history meaningfully intersect such that one can appreciate what it was like for an individual to live in the times of the National Socialists, and to experience life on the ground as real people who lived through the turbulent 1930s and 1949s did. Indeed, this trilogy is offered in a brilliant attempt to render such a comprehensive history that makes sense of how it that such a baffling and troubling phenomenon could arise in what was considered the most economically, socially, and culturally advanced society of the early 20th century. This volume recounts the story of the origins of the Third Reich in 19th century Germany, from the its very beginnings as Bismarck?s foundling empire, through the events of the First World War, and the turbulent unrest and dissatisfaction of the Weimar years. It also describes the rise of the National Socialists through what the author describes as being an ingenuous combination of electoral success and massive political violence that took place in the chaotic epoch of the Great Depression. The book's central theme centers around how the Nazis managed to forge a one-party dictatorship in a democratic society so quickly, and with so little organized resistance.This volume is, much like William Shirer?s classic effort in ?The Rise And Fall of the Third Reich?, a narrative account of the events surrounding the events of the Nazi era. It is a massively documented effort to document the story of the Third Reich in chronological order, and much as Shirer did, attempts to ?give voice to the people who lived through the years? of Nazi rule. The author is quite passionate in voicing his own concern that history once more render for the reader an intelligence recounting of the experiences of ordinary individuals, of the sheer complexity of the their existential constraints and available options, and the often incomprehensible choices they faced. So, what Evans aims to give to the reader in the early 21st century is a bet

I know too much about the author from his book; more than I usually would in a work of historical non-fiction. He's too involved and annoys me by showing all the time what HE thinks and what morality WE should have. But aside from this, which other reviewers noticed as well, the book is especially thorough and informative. The Weimar Republic was not as chaotic as I had previously thought. But the seeds were sown, to use a chliche, during that period of political try-out and experiment. Socialism did not have much of a chance, not while the military and industrial sectors were so interlocked and mutually sustaining. Evans makes clear that both sectors prevented the blossoming of a true democratic spirit.

I have read perhaps more than a hundred books on the Third Reich from almost every angle possible. This morning, I finished the Coming of the Third Reich then I read the reviews posted here to see just how different perceptions affect other readers' understanding of the material. After digesting some of the commentary, I wondered if we had read the same book.This is the first time I've read a book by Richard Evans so I can't compare and contrast with his other work on the same subject. At no point did I detect excessive moralizing or self-congratulatory passages. I would urge those who have not yet read the book to read the preface. Its very important. Evans explains that he is breaking no new ground but that this book is primarily for the edification of those who know little or nothing about Hitler or the Third Reich. It is an overview with different angles than those of Shirer, Kershaw, and Burleigh and that is part of what makes this book so useful. Rather than dwell on the poverty of Hitler's youth and his anti-Semitism, though Evans does cover these, the focus is on the political, economic and social situation of the ill-fated Weimar Republic and how it became fertile soil for extremism.Evans has written a coherent, interesting, and fast-paced explanation for the rise of the Nazis to the top of the extremist crop of political fringe groups that got their start following WWI. It is useful to remember that out of the ashes of defeat in the war, myriad extremist groups popped up in Germany like mushrooms in a Mississippi cow pasture after a spring shower. The Weimar Republic was a fractious cacophony of partisan squabbling. Many Germans rejected its legitimacy and after twelve years of abject political failure despite the constant shuffling of Cabinets, millions were ready for a strong leader to take control and restore German pride and economic clout.Many party leaders vowed to dismantle the Weimar system should they come to power, but only Hitler and his Nazi Party promised to do so while restoring Germany to its rightful place in the world. People increasingly began to see Hitler as a decisive leader and the Nazis as a youthful, dynamic movement that had the capabilities of fulfilling its promise. The Nazi Party was the first to use technology and science to further its aims and to build support. Innovations like focus groups that we take for granted today were potent weapons in the Nazi political arsenal then. With the guidance of Goebbels and others, Hitler learned to tailor his speeches to his audience. Where his anti-Semitic harangues were not working, he dropped any talk of the Jews. When he spoke to workers, he spoke against capital. When he spoke to industrialists, he emphasized the party's program for individual initiative and profits for those who earned them.The book shows that at no time was Hitler's appointment as Reich Chancellor inevitable, that the Nazis were actually seen by many, including some of their own worried leaders,

I am not a fan of Richard J. Evans' habit of pontificating and moralising all the way through his books, but this annoyance cannot erode my belief that the fellow has researched and written a fine book. It is aimed at a wide and therefore unspecialised readership, and contains less originality that I expected, but the topics it covers receive thorough, persuasive and readable analysis of the highest order. This is indeed a very good first work in a trilogy.

Many historical works about Nazi Germany focus on the cult of personality that surrounded Adolf Hitler. And while it is true that without Hitler there would have been no Nazi movement, it is equally true that Hitler as a leader could only have flourished in the hothouse political environment that was post-World War I Germany. Historian Richard Evans?s ?The Coming of the Third Reich,? the first in a trilogy about the Nazis that takes the movement up to Hitler?s 1933 ascension to power, concentrates on those qualities of the German nation that made it susceptible to his virulent brand of fanatical nationalism and racism. This is an important historical work that will soon take its place alongside the best books ever written about the subject.Evans is a meticulous researcher, but even more importantly he is a good storyteller whose easy prose brings the subject matter to life for the reader. He begins his story in the days of the legendary Otto von Bismark, the so-called ?Iron Chancellor,? who once and for all united the German nation in 1870. Evans shows how the latent intellectual seeds of ferocious nationalism, militarism and subdued but prevalent anti-Semitism that would later spring to life so forcefully were sown into the body politic of Germany, waiting for the catastrophic defeat of the First World War to help bring them into full flower. This worthwhile examination of previous German history is often overlooked, or gets only perfunctory treatment, in other books about the Nazis. Indeed, Hitler himself is not mentioned by name here until after almost 160 pages of text.Evans goes on to describe early Nazi history, dramatically illustrating how Hitler and his henchmen tapped into the currents of discontent flowing just under the surface of 1920s Weimar democracy, particularly among military veterans. He graphically depicts the street violence that was so much a part of the fledging democracy, as thugs beholden to the Nazis, the Communists and even democratic parties like the Social Democrats engaged constantly in pitched battles the ultimately undermined the republic. Even in this environment, however, the Nazi movement needed the drastic economic upheavals of the 1930s before they could turn from a fringe party to a mass movement. The final tragedy of the book comes in late January 1933 when Hitler, whose party had peaked short of 40% of the popular vote and was actually declining, is invited to become chancellor by some contemptible and hopelessly misguided conservative politicians who thought they could control him. Overall, ?The Coming of the Third Reich? is an outstanding historical work that is aimed at general readers, but should appeal to anyone with an interest in this important subject.