A Concise History of Nazi Germany

by Joseph W. Bendersky

This balanced history offers a concise, readable introduction to Nazi Germany. Combining compelling narrative storytelling with analysis, Joseph Bendersky presents an authoritative survey of the major political, economic, and social factors that powered the rise and fall of the Third Reich.

Now in its third edition, the book incorporates the significant research of recent years. Delving into the complexity of social life within the Nazi state, it also reemphasizes the crucial role played by racial ideology in determining the policies and practices of the Third Reich. Bendersky paints a fascinating picture of how average citizens negotiated their way through both the threatening power behind certain Nazi policies and the strong enticements to acquiesce or collaborate. His classic treatment provides an invaluable overview of a subject that retains its historical significance and contemporary importance.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military History, World War II, Germany

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 11, 2006

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of this topic, although it's not scholarly because it doesn't have citations in the text.

[Mike Harbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joseph Bendersky does a remarkable job of tracing the rise and fall of Hitler and the Nazi Party in a very readable, concise manner. At only 212 pages I was skeptical that Professor Bendersky would be able to do the subject justice, and I was pleasantly surprised.

It is important to understand what this book is, and what it isn't. This is not a concise history of the Second World War. It is not a history of military campaigns. It is, however, an insightful telling of the Hitler's and the Nazi's rise to power, their policies, their motivations, and their collapse. The Nazi Reich lasted fewer years than the Weimar Republic, which it replaced - yet it had lasting impact on world history and European culture.

Too often, those of us who are students of the Second World War tend to focus on events from 1938 through 1945, just tending to gloss over the period covering the fall of the Wiemar Republic and Hitler's rise to power. The first six months of his Chancellorship in 1933 is a story of a remarkable power grab and a legislative foundation for the terror that spread across Europe in the next 12 years.

I recommend this book to any student of the Second World War, as well as the casual reader who wants to have a better appreciation of European history.

[Matt Davenport · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely well written, readable, yet thorough recollection of the events and contexts of the Nazi regime in Germany from its founding through the Nuremburg Trials. One is able to see exactly how such an atrocity like Nazism could come about, and see how Hitler was able to seize power. The details surrounding anti-Semitism in the world prior to WW2, about the reactions to Nazism in every facet of society, and the logic behind Hitler's seemingly self-defeating war strategy were of particular interest.

Overall, not an easy thing to read about, as Nazism is the most clear version of evil we've seen in at least the past century, if not ever. But for it's purpose, it is a brilliantly written history book that I would recommend to anyone who is interested in the subject.

[John Kaufmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief but, as the title says, concise. A lot of information neatly presented in a tight package.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

a compelling origin story a purportedly political - yet aggrandizing, self-nemetic ideological movement that contextualizes it within the domestic politics of its time

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

We had to buy this book for his class, but it turned out to be excellent. Really well-researched, full of insight into the human condition as well. So good that I have the book to my dad after the semester was over.

[Samantha K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as a companion book for my class, and it was really informative if a broad (very broad) understanding is needed of Germany from 1920s-1945. I rlly liked how he discussed the ongoing historical and political implications of Germany's past in present day Germany. I also like the huge list of further media he recommends for education on any specific topic we might be interested in.

[Patrick Gilner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful overview in a thin volume. I used Bendersky as the textbook when I taught Weimar and Nazi Germany courses because it was both broad and concise enough for undergraduates to read, while my lectures provided more depth or differing perspectives.

[Tonayo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very accessible, well-researched book about the rise and fall of Nazism and Hitler.

[Kristin Stansell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for my WWII and the Holocaust class at Tarleton State. Very interesting to learn facts that were not taught in school.

[Brian Spicer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for a required textbook reading, but could have used more narrative style story telling.

[Heather C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bendersky’s A Concise History of Nazi Germany offers an excellent short introduction to Germany as it existed under Nazi control. It covers the elements that contributed to the Nazis attaining power and the downfall of the Weimar Republic, the peak of power, and lastly the collapse of Nazi power following the Second World War. I especially appreciated the last two chapters with a look at the propaganda and the Nuremburg trials. It didn’t just abruptly end with the end of the war as some other books on the subject do, but looked at the extended legacy. This account read as balanced and not incendiary or with an agenda.

Bendersky includes a lot of information into this short book, however it does not feel dense or fact-packed as can tend to happen in short tomes. This is an excellent starting point or refresher for anyone wanting to understand the developments of Nazi Germany and it was an excellent text for class. It does not have the space to dig deeply into the individual elements, but gives enough information on a wide variety of elements to be a sound starting point. For more depth it would benefit to be paired with another work as well.

I would have appreciated the inclusion of footnotes throughout this work, or even endnotes. Instead it was structured where at the end of the text sources were presented in paragraph form based on subject. This makes it difficult if you are to use the work for any sort of research, but helpful if you just want to find further reading.

This review was previously posted at The Maiden's Court.