Nazi Germany: A Very Short Introduction

Very Short Introductions #612

by Jane Caplan

Any consideration of the 20th century would be incomplete without a discussion of Nazi Germany, an extraordinary regime which dominated European history for 12 years, and left a legacy that still echoes with us today. The incredible force of the destructive vision at the heart of Nazi Germany
led to a second world war when the world was still aching from the first one, and an incomprehensible death count, both at home and abroad.

In this Very Short Introduction, Jane Caplan's insightful analysis of Nazi Germany provides a highly relevant reminder of the fragility of democratic institutions, and the ways in which the exploitation of national fears, mass political movements, and frail political opposition can lead to the
imposition of dictatorship. Considering the emergence and popular appeal of the Nazi party, she discusses the relationships between belief, consent, and terror in securing the regime, alongside the crucial role played by Hitler himself. Covering the full history of the regime, she includes an
unflinching look at the dark stains of war, persecution, and genocide. At the same time, Caplan offers unexpected angles of vision and insights; asking readers to look behind the handful of over-used images of Nazi Germany we are familiar with, and to engage critically with a history that that is
so abhorrent it risks seeming beyond interpretation.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and
enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Patricia Roberts-Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best introduction to Nazism.

[Stefan Gustafson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible book for anybody looking for a succinct but thought provoking introduction into academic scholarship on Nazi germany

[Jason Ray Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great VSI. It emphasizes the way the Nazi regime entrenched itself in Germany in the early 1930s due to a weak Weimar Republic. It explores how Nazi Germany influenced daily life after the regime rose to power. It analyzes the mid- to late-1930s, as Nazi-dominared Germany prepared for war. And there are chapters on how the ethnonationalism of the regime harmonized with its eugenics and ethnic-cleansing programme (i.e the Holocaust, ghettos, death camps). The overall impression one gets from reading this is that the rise of Nazi Germany was not an anomaly, the abnormal production of a cadre of oppportunistic political monsters. Instead, it was the horrible dark realization of all-too-ubiquitous historical processes, the manifestation of tensions inherent in the Western World in the early- to mid-20th-c.., generally characterized as "anti-Democracy." We can disavow the regime, but we are flattering ourselves if we render it as alien, a historical detour. We are humans and Nazi Germany was created by humans who grew to distrust democracy. It emerged as a result of the erosion of trust in democratic values of pluralism, constitutionalism, and civil discourse. Distrust of democratic values is something that endures even today. It happened before. It can happen again. Stay vigilant.

[Eli Harmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Understanding Nazism goes beyond the horrors of the Holocaust, and this book does a good job of presenting profound questions which are good questions to ask of any society trending towards nationalism… threats to democracy always exist and are always not too far from a boiling point.

(Political exploitation of public fears/resentment, loss of confidence in institutions, economic/political elitism, corrosion of government standards, weaponization of prejudice, etc)

[AC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good for what it is.

[Sai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked how the history of Nazi Germany was organized and presented. There was more emphasis placed on the consequences of events rather than tedious details of names and dates. When I began reading this, I had only rudimentary knowledge of Hitler and his regime. Now I have a better grasp of how a “democratic” and civilized Germany led to the deaths of millions of Jews and other “asocials”.

On a more personal note, it is unsettling to me that the problem wasn’t Hitler after all. It was “the political exploitation of popular fears and resentments, the retreat of confidence in public institutions, the structural power of economic and political elites, the corrosion of governmental standards, the weaponization of prejudice, the repression of difference and dissent, and the eternal temptation of the blind eye”—all of which are happening in my own country. Must democracy be so fragile?

[Matthew Jelfs · Rating 5 out of 5]

As informative as a book of this size can be on the history of Nazi Germany. Thoroughly enjoyable and enthusing to read, despite its morbid topic.

[Hank Hoeft · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as I’ve read about World War II, I still found Nazi Germany: A Very Short Introduction to be informative, even illuminating. This VSI isn’t a history of the European theater of World War II, but rather chronicles the history of the Nazi Party, from its earliest 19th century roots to its violent demise in 1945, to the echoes that have reverberated ever since in Germany and in the world. It focuses on the Why’s and How’s rather than simply on the What’s, and analyses the way the Nazis ruled (in a rather ad hoc way, and often in a way that belied the very cultural values the Nazi Party claimed to promote), and the effects on the German people specifically and Europeans in general.

The book focuses particularly on the Holocaust, as the elimination of all Jews was such a prominent psychopathic obsession of Adolf Hitler’s—and subsequently of the whole Nazi organization. What I found most interesting is how the idea of the “final solution” to the “Jewish question” evolved over time from exploiting and persecuting the Jews, to relocating them, to finally, trying to exterminate the entire body of European Jews. In tracing the timeline of the Jewish genocide, author Jane Caplan illustrates perfectly the improvisational nature of Nazi “planning,” and also explains something I have long wondered about Nazi actions. That is, I have always been amazed that even when it became obvious the war could not be won by Germany, the Nazis grew even more intent on killing as many Jews as possible, even to the point of hampering their own war effort—which on the Eastern Front had become an increasingly desperate war for survival. But Ms. Caplan points out the dichotomous nature of Hitler’s vision—the future would bring either Paradise or Apocalypse; those were the only two possible outcomes—and the Nazi Party as well as much of the rest of the German people, were also infected with this diseased world view.

[Calvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good survey of Nazi Germany.

Recounts of this type are often reluctant to place the blame on the people and paint them as leaves blown in the winds of history. Even with descriptions that point to broad support, the commentary leans towards victimhood defences or impersonal explanations.

I understand the reluctance to play the blame game, but it would be instructive to know how the German psychology allowed this to happen. The great fear of Nazi Germany is that it happened in a democracy after all. Believing it was an intransigent minority that hijacked the democratic process is appealing, but I suspect, inadequate as an explanation.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Very Short Introduction was a letdown. At times, it was overly verbose with unnecessary vocabulary. I found it to be disorganized with a weird emphasis on inside talk rather than discussion of events. Worst of all, it wasn’t much of an introduction. It assumes the reader is well read on the topic and doesn’t serve well as an introduction. There are a handful of VSI releases like this one that are not really introductions and get overly academic and technical.

[Brian Finn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good introduction to NSDAP. Highlighted how it was a a series of events that led the n*zis to come to power rather than just some random occurrence. One can easily draw parallels to today’s society and the fragility we have at the moment, which frightens me. Idk how to rate a history book though. Similar category to a biography or memoir… facts were correct. Sometimes the language was weird but nothing that inhibited me from reading.

[Dan Hancox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable as a general recap, actually not sure how accessible it is as an introduction for most. I think I’d struggle with this if it was truly my first introduction to the topic.

Could be good for A-level students but requires strong comprehension and patience. Some sections could be used for pre-reading but would then need to explicitly go over it again as a class.

[Hina Ansari · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love these short books, but sometimes I feel like I’m missing something! It was interesting to see the parallels to Nazi Germany and the current state of US politics. We’re right in track for our own implosion.

[Wilde Sky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief overview of the Nazi regime.

There were a lot of data / ideas condensed into a short book.

Reading time around two hours.

[Donald Schopflocher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Constructed from interpretations and explanations rather than events and particularities, this concise and well-written account functions not only as an introduction but also as a summary and conclusion of longer histories such as The rise and fall of the Third Reich or Hitler biographies.

[Patrick Uphues · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great depth of understanding for a “very short” intro.

[Desollado · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very brief and dispassionate approach at the subject.

[J Grimsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction and an easy and fast read.

[Freddy Netto · Rating 5 out of 5]

really easy read that goes in depth just the right amount as an intro of the topic

[Steve Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good introduction to the subject: insightful and balanced, and a very helpful further reading list.

[RamblingReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

an excellent overview of the history!

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really is an excellent introduction. Informative, unsparing, and harrowing in places. Caplan’s writing is excellent throughout. It would be useful if there was a book halfway between this and some of the doorstoppers about this period, too. (Would be useful for recommendations for students.)

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than an overview, this introduction delves into the most important questions regarding Nazi Germany, including the reasons for the rise of the Nazis, life in Nazi Germany, the war, and the Holocaust.