Confronting Hitler

William Smaldone is professor of history at Willamette University in Oregon and author of Rudolf Hilferding: The Tragedy of a German Social Democrat.

• Chapter 1 Weimar and the Social Democratic Challenge Chapter 2 Siegfried Aufhäuser (1884-1969): "Freedom Will Always Triumph." Chapter 3 Rudolf Breitscheid (1874-1944): "Readiness Is Everything!" Chapter 4 Rudolf Hilferding (1877-1941): Against the Right and the Left Chapter 5 Marie Juchacz (1879-1965): Mobilizing Women Chapter 6 Carlo Mierendorff (1897-1943): "Democracy and Socialism Were Our Polestars." Chapter 7 Antonie Pfülf (1977-1933): "A Socialist in Deed." Chapter 8 Toni Sender (1888-1964): German Rebel Chapter 9 Carl Severing (1875-1952): "I Will Yield Only to Violence." Chapter 10 Friedrich Stampfer (1874-1957): Reaching Out to the Communists Chapter 11 Otto Wels (1873-1930): Defending Socialism's Honor Chapter 12 Conclusion: Reconsidering the German Catastrophe of 1933

These biographical accounts are in themselves informative and help to illuminate the political thinking and behavior, not only of these leaders, but of much of the party during the final years of the Weimar Republic.