Ideology of Death: Why the Holocaust Happened in Germany

by John Weiss

Despite all the thousands of studies of the Holocaust and the rise of Nazi Germany, we still have no satisfactory explanation of why this tragedy occurred in one of the most "civilized" of Western nations. John Weiss's Ideology of Death is the first book to explore the unique nature of German history, showing how it rejected the liberal ideals of the Enlightenment, and to trace the culture of racism and anti-Semitism among powerful elites and ordinary Germans over a long period of German history. In a stunningly lucid narrative, Weiss describes exactly how and why Christian anti-Semitism, in its unique form among German Protestants and Austrian Catholics, reinforced modern secular racism to create an explosive mix. Using the latest research, he details how the Nazis, building on traditional German anti-Semitism, were able to adjust it so as to appeal to a wide variety of social groups–crucial to their electoral success. And he explains the specific complicities of various German groups and institutions in the Holocaust, and why they voluntarily cooperated with the Nazis. In its clarity and compelling argument, Ideology of Death is certain to be one of the most important books for many years to come on the reasons behind the Holocaust.

Genres: History, Holocaust, Germany, Nonfiction

444 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1995

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading survivor accounts of the holocaust and knowing what happened, I wanted a high-level analytical view of why it happened. Something more academic, less emotionally disturbing. Well it turns out the background is even more emotionally disturbing, not just because of the horrors that resulted, but because you see all these gears turning towards the holocaust. And what's worse: you pick out things in the history, the language of politicians, the intolerance of the public, that still go on in the western world today. But that's why this book is so important and why I consider it a must-read. I had to skip a few later chapters to avoid having nightmares but am glad I spent some time with the rest of it.

[Brett C · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of information and details on the history of anti-Semitism. The book goes to vector in on the Holocaust committed by the Germans. Full of information but was dry at very scholarly. I thought it was OK.

[Michael Greening · Rating 5 out of 5]

A disturbing but ultimately satisfying chronicle of the deep roots of Hitlerism and their unfathomable consequences

[Mark Isaacs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I've ever read on how & why the Nazis came to power in Germany.

[Kurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

For at least 45 years I have been perplexed at how a whole culture of otherwise modern and civilized people could allow and promote the systematic extermination of millions of people simply because of the cultural and (perceived) genetic differences of those people. The Holocaust is the most disturbing incident in the history of humanity in my opinion -- in large part because I recognize the fact that I and my fellow countrymen are in no way significantly different from the German people who perpetrated this outrage.

This book shed a lot of light on this subject. I'm sure that some of the author's conclusions are controversial, but his explanations, taken as a whole, are the best and most rational and believable that I have read or heard. Most compelling is the author's most important assertion that the Holocaust definitely was not a one-man job or even the work of only a small group of highly ideological racists. Instead it was the direct result of centuries of anti-semitism that permeated the history, religion, economy, politics, and culture of Germany.

The ancient history that is depicted in the first few chapters captivated me, as did the last five or six chapters dealing with the Nazi era. The chapters in between, however, (about two-thirds of the book) dealt with historical occurrences of the 18th and 19th centuries, which I found to be both somewhat dull and overly complex, but obviously necessary for the author to fully develop his thesis.

A very good and thorough book on this very important subject. WE MUST NEVER FORGET.

[Cassiday Tamillo]

Sounds morbid, I know. I never payed much attention to this part of my history classes, and since my husband lived in Germany for 2 years, he suggested I learn more about it. He thinks the Holocaust carries a very interesting story behind it, and I'd like to be able to have an actual conversation with him about it. We'll see how it goes.

[Karen M. Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

We just know our past to know our future. The book appears accurate and also frightening, as we watch the growth of anti-Semitism in the world today. I found it hard to put down. A must read!