Conquering Berlin

by Wilfrid Bade, Theodor Runen (Translator)

Berlin: Capital of the Reich. In the heyday of the decadent Weimar Republic, the political heart of Germany is a Red fortress with streets overrun by communist gangs. While the brown-shirted SA-Men are ascendant in other parts of the country, only the bravest dare set foot in Berlin's working-class neighborhoods.



But the SA is awash with brave men willing to sacrifice everything to bring about their Third Reich. Spurred on by their love of Germany and by the charismatic Dr. Goebbels, the Berlin NSDAP rise from a handful of men in a dingy cellar to the toughest group of fighting men under the SA banner. Conquering Berlin tells the inside story, through the eyes of the humble worker Schulz, of their struggle to retake the Red City. From barroom brawls to street demonstrations, from moments of happiness to devastating defeats, the SA risk life and limb to wrest the German people from the clutches of dirty cops and Bolshevik assassins.



First published by Wilfrid Bade in 1933, Conquering Berlin was banned in the Soviet occupation zone, the author dying in a prison camp in Lithuania. Antelope Hill Publishing is proud to present the first-ever English translation of this historical tour-de-force.

Genres: History, Politics

184 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1933

About the author

Wilfrid Bade was a German writer and ministerial official of the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and propaganda under Goebbels in National Socialist Germany.

Reviews

[Nick John · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an entertaining read. I have to say like many of these new translations from Antelope Hill Publishing I went into this book not fully knowing what to expect and once again I was plesantly surprised and that's an understatement.

As some what of an activist myself it was amazing to see some of the exact same lessons learned by the SA during their climb to power that I have learned in activism myself. It is almost spooky the level at which activists of today can relate to the struggles and victories and strategies deployed as well as mistakes made by the SA. What an interesting time period as well as angle that is extremely hard to find any study or knowledge on.

Not only that I really like the authors sort of narration style through out the book. Introducing every event and character with a sort of case study narration. The Translator also did an excellent job including the original German when necessary but also making this book very smooth and easy to comprehend in English as well. I highly recommend this book to any fan if Historical fiction, Third Positionist, Activist, Historian or all of the above.

[Bobby Daugherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

An account of the SA's tireless campaign to free Germany from communism and corruption. A very brief but well written book. It begins with an unemployed Veteran of the Great War encountering a member of the SA. He is dismissive until the realization that they are the only organized group willing to help him and his fellow countrymen. Insulted by civilians and brutalized by the police he joins the ranks of the Brownshirts and chooses to fight and possibly die among men of valor than simply die ignored and despised in the very country he had fought to save once before. The book ends with the 1933 election and the victory of Adolf Hitler.

[Jesuitstea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely little edition by Antelope Hill Publishing, a promising new house that focuses on new editions of decidedly dissentious literature. I was particularly impressed by the vernacular quality of Theodor Runen's translation, and the voice he has given the assuredly fictitious Schulz is a pleasure to read. There's a skillful blending of colloquialism and period parlance that creates a perfectly naturalised translation. The notes to the text are also insightful, as is the inclusion of German lyrics to the SA's favourite marching songs. All-in-all a very impressive job that certainly sets a high standard for presses great and small.

The narrative itself is saccharine sweet and gratuitously self-congratulating- it's easy to understand left wing critiques of Fascism as a bourgeois movement after reading this tract. Don't go in expecting any nitty-gritty history, but it's a very interesting snapshot into the National Socialist movement at the turn of the 1930s.

[Red · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know what to think of this book for the first little bit while reading it. Putting you in the world of Weimar Germany is rough and it took a lot of guts to get anything done. Goes to show you if your willing to put in the work, you can get your ideas out there. Overall the writing was good and the story was interesting. Very different from the typical Weimar perspective.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent story about the men who stopped the Communist from taking over Berlin and turning into a Bolshevik Satellite.