The kings depart: The tragedy of Germany : Versailles and the German revolution

Thirty years ago, whilst I was a student, I first read this wonderful book. Since then I have not been able to get it out of my mind, except.... I had forgotten the author's name and the title! After many years of searching I finally discovered the reviews on these pages and recognised that the reviewers were describing the book which had so intrigued me so many years ago. The excitement of the narrative brought the events to life most wonderfully, especially as this is a little-known chapter of world history. An excellent read! Warmly recommended.

The sub-title of this book is 'The Tradegy of Germany: Versailles and the German Revolution'. It was first published in 1968 but has recently been re-published in paperback. The book covers the period from the armistice that ended World War I (November 11, 1918) to the signing of the Versailles treaty about seven months later (June 28, 1919). During this period Germany was swept by repeated revolutions from the left and counter-revolutions from the right. These ended finally in the establishment of the weak and unstable Weimar Republic but also (and ominously) in the founding of the Nazi party and the beginning of the career of Adolf Hitler. While Germany was in chaos, the leaders of the victorious nations (Lloyd George of Britain, Georges Clemenceau of France and Woodrow Wilson of the United States) lead the discussion in Paris of the terms of the treaty that was to be imposed on Germany. It is generally agreed today that the Versailles treaty was a dreadfully botched job and that in the end it made almost inevitable the emergence of a revengeful and vicious Germany and then World War II. How all of this came about is a fascinating and horrifying story which Richard Watt tells with enormous skill and verve. In 530 meticulously researched pages, he has written the single most exciting history book I have ever read. It is a page-turner, a book I could hardly bear to put down. I have only one critical comment to make. It seems to me that this period of Bolshevik revolutions in Germany and also elsewhere especially in Hungary lead to something else other a a nationalistic fury and a desire for revenge. It lead to a sharp increase in anti-semitism. The holocaust itself, which would have been unthinkable in pre-war central Europe, became not only thinkable but perhaps likely after 1919. This view, I should stress, is my own only. At any rate it is a subject that Watt has chosen perhaps wisely not to address.

I first read this book, in almost one session, when it first appeared in 1970. Since then I've reread it several times and have recommended it to countless friends, and to my children, who have been as delighted with it as I was. It provides a superb - and exciting - overview of a period little covered in English. It must stand as one of the classics of 20th Century Narrative history. If you enjoy this, then also seek our Watt's "Dare Call It Treason" on the French Army Mutinies of 1917, which is another splendid treat for history enthusiasts

The failure of diplomacy and politics which was the Treaty of Versailles is often said to have led directly to the 2nd World War.This book is about the German socialist revolution after WWI but has a much larger significance. In order to better illuminate the reasons for the revolution, the author spends maybe half the book describing the whole end-of-war scene, what was happening with the Allies, and the whole Treaty of Versailles process. The emphasis is on the diplomatic and political task of making the peace, and boy, if you've ever looked down on the arts of diplomacy and politics, this story is a real eye-opener! For example, after the German monarchy collapsed, the leading legitimate political party was the Majority Socialists. They were the only ones left to take over and try to steer the country out of chaos. Their legitimacy lay in the fact that they had been handed the reins by the previous monarchical government, and so could rule according to German law. Unfortunately, one of the leaders ran out to a balcony, and yelled to the crowds, "Long live the German Republic!" which was a horrible mistake -- it implied that the old, monarchical laws no longer applied, and that the Majority Socialists had no legal standing anymore. Also fascinating is the role that American President Wilson's fussy, exacting, professorial temperament had in the failure, and the unfortunate fact that the German diplomat the Majority Socialists sent to represent them was a lousy public speaker. And did you know the French believed all along that there would soon be another war with Germany? This was why they insisted on extracting so much land and money from the Germans, a punitive move which only made the 2nd World War all the more inevitable. The book is full of such fascinating examples. I am not a history student and generally have to read books on history laboriously, one chapter at a time, forcing myself to pay attention. Although this is real, undiluted, non-romanticized history, it is so well written that, after finishing every chapter, I wanted to go onto the next. The author is an excellent writer, great at character description and at suspense, though not in the least showy or overly present as a narrative voice. I plan to read every book of his I can get my hands on.

Years later this remains one of the great books about post World War I Germany and the (near) Communist revolutionary furor which swept that nation. Prominent are Rosa Luxembourg and other "Reds" who were ruthlessly put down by those who feared Communism. If there is ever a good reading about the seedbed of the Nazi (anti-Communist) foment, this is it. highly readable without sacrificing historic accuracy and scholarship