Dictatorships and Authoritarianism in Modern German History

Dictatorships and Authoritarianism in Modern German History provides readers with a comprehensive overview of the history of dictatorships and authoritarian politics in Germany since the French Revolution. Dictatorships have been a defining feature of modern German history. The Nazi dictatorship between 1933 and 1945, which brought about the Second World War and the Holocaust, is still taught in schools and universities as the prime example of the destructiveness of ideologically driven regimes in the 20th century; the state-socialist regime in the German Democratic Republic that lasted for over 40 years bore many of the same dictatorial features. Yet, authoritarian mindsets and practices also featured in the politics of the imperial period after 1871. Even in the democratic Weimar Republic and the Federal Republic after 1945, authoritarianism remained a challenge. Understanding the factors that made authoritarian politics possible, their inner workings, but also their impact on the lives of many people is key to understanding the course of modern German history as a whole. This absorbing volume offers a comprehensive discussion of these issues and their historical contexts. The book moves beyond the familiar historical narratives to incorporate an analysis of key political thinkers and their interpretations of the problem of authoritarian and totalitarian rule. The discussion of these political dimensions is given further depth with the examination of the impact of dictatorship on German society as well as key figures of the 20th century.