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1938: Hitler's Gamble
In this masterful narrative, acclaimed historian Giles MacDonogh chronicles Adolf Hitler’s consolidation of power over the course of one year. Until 1938, Hitler could be dismissed as a ruthless but efficient dictator, a problem to Germany alone; after 1938 he was clearly a threat to the entire world.It was in 1938 that Third Reich came of age. The Führer brought Germany into line with Nazi ideology and revealed his plans to take back those parts of Europe lost to “Greater Germany” after the First World War. From the purging of the army in January through the Anschluss in March, from the Munich Conference in September to the ravages of Kristallnacht in November, MacDonogh offers a gripping account of the year Adolf Hitler came into his own and set the world inexorably on track to a cataclysmic war.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
24 people are currently reading
319 people want to read
About the author
Giles MacDonogh
26 books37 followersGiles MacDonogh (born 1955) is a British writer, historian and translator.
MacDonogh has worked as a journalist, most notably for the Financial Times (1988–2003), where he covered food, drink and a variety of other subjects. He has also contributed to most of the other important British newspapers, and is a regular contributor to the Times . As an historian, MacDonogh concentrates on central Europe, principally Germany.
He was educated at the City of London School and Balliol College, Oxford, where he read modern history. He later carried out historical research at the École pratique des hautes études in Paris.
MacDonogh is the author of fourteen books, chiefly about German history; he has also written about gastronomy and wine. In 1988 he won a Glenfiddich Special Award for his first book, A Palate in Revolution (Robin Clark) and was shortlisted for the André Simon Award. His books have been translated into French, Italian, Bulgarian, German, Chinese, Slovakian, Spanish, Russian and Polish.
Reviewing 1938: Hitler’s Gamble in Spectator Magazine , Graham Stewart said: "Giles MacDonogh has repeatedly shown himself to be in the front rank of British scholars of German history. The depth of his human understanding, the judiciousness of his pickings from source material and the quality of his writing make this book at once gripping and grave."
MacDonogh has worked as a journalist, most notably for the Financial Times (1988–2003), where he covered food, drink and a variety of other subjects. He has also contributed to most of the other important British newspapers, and is a regular contributor to the Times . As an historian, MacDonogh concentrates on central Europe, principally Germany.
He was educated at the City of London School and Balliol College, Oxford, where he read modern history. He later carried out historical research at the École pratique des hautes études in Paris.
MacDonogh is the author of fourteen books, chiefly about German history; he has also written about gastronomy and wine. In 1988 he won a Glenfiddich Special Award for his first book, A Palate in Revolution (Robin Clark) and was shortlisted for the André Simon Award. His books have been translated into French, Italian, Bulgarian, German, Chinese, Slovakian, Spanish, Russian and Polish.
Reviewing 1938: Hitler’s Gamble in Spectator Magazine , Graham Stewart said: "Giles MacDonogh has repeatedly shown himself to be in the front rank of British scholars of German history. The depth of his human understanding, the judiciousness of his pickings from source material and the quality of his writing make this book at once gripping and grave."
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 31, 2023
Giles Macdonogh knows his strength as a chronicler; his writing within a monthly review of 1938 is as smooth as Anthony Read's. In this format, Hitler's further consolidation of power sneaks up on you while the Jews of Germany feel a rise in violent discrimination. 1938 is marked as the year where power shifted irrevocably from the Weimar political elite & took the army top with it. It's just a bit heavy on the Jews and a bit light on the power shift.
Only in the last quarter does the Munich Agreement provide a beacon known from general Nazi history, where the "golden years" of 1936-38 are often rushed in favour of approaching war. Even Guido Knopp theorized that Hitler'd be remembered as one of Germany's great politicians if he'd died in 1938. Yet the troops setting off for the Sudetenland where met with a silent handful of commuters in an antithesis of 1914's "jubilant crowds".
Only in the last quarter does the Munich Agreement provide a beacon known from general Nazi history, where the "golden years" of 1936-38 are often rushed in favour of approaching war. Even Guido Knopp theorized that Hitler'd be remembered as one of Germany's great politicians if he'd died in 1938. Yet the troops setting off for the Sudetenland where met with a silent handful of commuters in an antithesis of 1914's "jubilant crowds".
June 19, 2010
This book is the author's analysis of why the year 1938 was a turning point which lead to the conflagration of WWII. History buffs would agree that Hitler, in his quest for control of Europe (and beyond), gambled on the inept leadership of England (Chamberlain, the great appeaser), and France (a government in chaos) to back away from any confrontation with Germany. Despite the fact that Hitler kept gobbling up one territory and country after another, they turned a blind eye to the portents of the coming disaster.
The book is a rather pedantic in style and tends to overuse statistics. The majority of the information deals with the deportation of the Jews (this was prior to the infamous Wannsee Conference where the "final solution" was drafted) and the numerical statistics overwhelm the narrative. This is neither the best, nor the worst history of that pivotal year.
The book is a rather pedantic in style and tends to overuse statistics. The majority of the information deals with the deportation of the Jews (this was prior to the infamous Wannsee Conference where the "final solution" was drafted) and the numerical statistics overwhelm the narrative. This is neither the best, nor the worst history of that pivotal year.
April 9, 2013
An incredible amount of detail and information packed in this book that covers so many key events that took place during 1938 in the rise of Nazi Germany. The book is broken down by month and outlines the climate of the times as well recounting the major historical decisions that were made that shaped the coming of World War II. There were so many major events that took place during 1938 and the author does an excellent job walking the reader through the timeline with commentary that helps form a better idea of the big picture.
Here is an outline of the events from the author's introduction to give a better perspective of what's covered as well as to see how much history was made during this critical year:
"1938 was the crucial year in the history of Nazi Germany before Europe tumbled into war. Every month resounded with shocks or sensations: the Bloomberg-Fritsch crisis in January, which shook the faith in the armed forces; the end of cabinet government in February; the Anschulss of Austria in March, which melded Austria to the Reich; the plebiscite in April, which revealed overwhelming support for the Fuehrer; Hitler's trip to Rome in May, which laid the keel of a proper alliance with Mussolini; the Evian Conference in July, which revealed that the countries opposing Hitler's racial policies were not prepared to put their money where their mouths were; the Kendrick Crisis in August, which destroyed the British intelligence network in Germany; Chamberlain's visits to Berchtesgaden and Bad Godesberg in September, followed by the notorious Munich conference; the occupation of the Sudetenland in October and, later that month, the expulsion of the Polish Jews from the Reich; Goebbels's re-creation of a medieval pogram in November's Reichskristallnact. While the Jews repaired their broken homes and shops in December, the kindertransports began to ferry their children to safety."
This book offers an in-depth look at those 1938 events that occurred, and though the author does give a lot of background information along the way, I wouldn't recommend this to someone who is just starting to learn about the rise of the Third Reich and the events that propelled the world into the second war of the twentieth century. A solid foundation of key players and events makes this read much more insightful and easier to understand. The photos that are included are not the widely published and many were ones I've never come across in my reading and studies of the European Theater of Operations in World War II.
Here is an outline of the events from the author's introduction to give a better perspective of what's covered as well as to see how much history was made during this critical year:
"1938 was the crucial year in the history of Nazi Germany before Europe tumbled into war. Every month resounded with shocks or sensations: the Bloomberg-Fritsch crisis in January, which shook the faith in the armed forces; the end of cabinet government in February; the Anschulss of Austria in March, which melded Austria to the Reich; the plebiscite in April, which revealed overwhelming support for the Fuehrer; Hitler's trip to Rome in May, which laid the keel of a proper alliance with Mussolini; the Evian Conference in July, which revealed that the countries opposing Hitler's racial policies were not prepared to put their money where their mouths were; the Kendrick Crisis in August, which destroyed the British intelligence network in Germany; Chamberlain's visits to Berchtesgaden and Bad Godesberg in September, followed by the notorious Munich conference; the occupation of the Sudetenland in October and, later that month, the expulsion of the Polish Jews from the Reich; Goebbels's re-creation of a medieval pogram in November's Reichskristallnact. While the Jews repaired their broken homes and shops in December, the kindertransports began to ferry their children to safety."
This book offers an in-depth look at those 1938 events that occurred, and though the author does give a lot of background information along the way, I wouldn't recommend this to someone who is just starting to learn about the rise of the Third Reich and the events that propelled the world into the second war of the twentieth century. A solid foundation of key players and events makes this read much more insightful and easier to understand. The photos that are included are not the widely published and many were ones I've never come across in my reading and studies of the European Theater of Operations in World War II.
February 7, 2010
A good book of a bad year for the world. The real emergence of Hitler to a world menace. Many factors, not the least of which was Europe losing a generation of young men in WWI, resulted in a failue to confront and missed opportunities to contain or topple the Nazi regime. Some insight into the antisemitism in Europe, it was not just a German phenomenon.
August 1, 2024
This is the wrong book.
I don't mean to say I read it accidentally, I mean this is the wrong book for the author to have written.
Writing a monography of a year is no mean feat. You can fail in a variety of ways, as does this author. Most importantly, he has no thesis. No questions. No well-organized narrative. What story is this? What does the book tell? It goes into too much detail about a lot of things that are not of interest to the ordinary reader, and some of the most important events are glossed over, or written from a chaotic and uninspired perspective.
The whole book is uninspired, shallow and hard to read. The only narrative connection point that brings the whole book together is the story of Viennese Jews. Why? Why were they so important in 1938, or why was 1938 so important to them? The author doesn't tell us, until the very end. They're actually his family. He has a personal investment. But the book isn't about the Jews of Vienna, is it? Had it been so, or had relevant research questions been presented, we as readers could have approached the text in the correct context.
But as it is, we don't really know what story we are reading. What are we supposed to walk away with, how is our understanding of 1938 supposed to change? We have nothing.
So the author should have written about the Jews of Vienna and that should have been his book. This is just confusing and adds next to nothing to the literature.
I don't mean to say I read it accidentally, I mean this is the wrong book for the author to have written.
Writing a monography of a year is no mean feat. You can fail in a variety of ways, as does this author. Most importantly, he has no thesis. No questions. No well-organized narrative. What story is this? What does the book tell? It goes into too much detail about a lot of things that are not of interest to the ordinary reader, and some of the most important events are glossed over, or written from a chaotic and uninspired perspective.
The whole book is uninspired, shallow and hard to read. The only narrative connection point that brings the whole book together is the story of Viennese Jews. Why? Why were they so important in 1938, or why was 1938 so important to them? The author doesn't tell us, until the very end. They're actually his family. He has a personal investment. But the book isn't about the Jews of Vienna, is it? Had it been so, or had relevant research questions been presented, we as readers could have approached the text in the correct context.
But as it is, we don't really know what story we are reading. What are we supposed to walk away with, how is our understanding of 1938 supposed to change? We have nothing.
So the author should have written about the Jews of Vienna and that should have been his book. This is just confusing and adds next to nothing to the literature.
July 25, 2010
Well, I couldn't put this one down, in the middle of a humid summer this book was a cool wind indeed. I must admit that I have to pace my reading of material concerning the Holocaust and the other attendant evils of the 20th century, it all becomes so overwhelming at times, but 1938: Hitler's Gamble had the fine grace of being prior to the utmost in human degradation and horror. This compact history was very well written, dramatic, learned, and in spite of some niggling I would quickly recommend it to anyone interested in the period. It was an interesting compendium of material and perspective in a chronological tour de force.
The pacing was that of a fine thriller, the momentum kept building and though the outcomes were inevitable, it was heart-rendering to see how close to avoiding them we as a human race came. Mr. MacDonogh's writing was sprightly, erudite, and humane; all of which make this a book to remember (it also means the tragedy of the situation is digestible for intellectual and moral learning). Mr. MacDonogh has a vast territory to cover in this one year, a year of politics great and small, and he handles the grand geo-political themes very well, he also teases out the little situations and small details of everyday life that make history live and breath. Whether outlining the foibles of a German general or the anguish of Jewish children he almost always found the telling item.
If the book had a fault it is this - if you are a new reader to the history and personalities of the Third Reich - be prepared to be overwhelmed with names, titles, offices, and a lack of some needed back-story. Even for someone who reads a great deal of material centered on this period it became a little thick at times. A drammatis personae opens the work and it would have been a help for a beginner, but there is so much to cover in such a short amount of time that it might boggle the reader who has not spent much time in this strata of history. Also the chronological approach danced with some topical themes that were spread across the chapters, each theme was handled across the chapters, each of which was devoted to a month or short collection of months and that cross-chapter back and forth became a little difficult as well. The alternative would have slowed his narrative down and been too pedantic, but perhaps some greater length would have allowed for a fuller development, but again these are small concerns in an excellent book.
Also the
The pacing was that of a fine thriller, the momentum kept building and though the outcomes were inevitable, it was heart-rendering to see how close to avoiding them we as a human race came. Mr. MacDonogh's writing was sprightly, erudite, and humane; all of which make this a book to remember (it also means the tragedy of the situation is digestible for intellectual and moral learning). Mr. MacDonogh has a vast territory to cover in this one year, a year of politics great and small, and he handles the grand geo-political themes very well, he also teases out the little situations and small details of everyday life that make history live and breath. Whether outlining the foibles of a German general or the anguish of Jewish children he almost always found the telling item.
If the book had a fault it is this - if you are a new reader to the history and personalities of the Third Reich - be prepared to be overwhelmed with names, titles, offices, and a lack of some needed back-story. Even for someone who reads a great deal of material centered on this period it became a little thick at times. A drammatis personae opens the work and it would have been a help for a beginner, but there is so much to cover in such a short amount of time that it might boggle the reader who has not spent much time in this strata of history. Also the chronological approach danced with some topical themes that were spread across the chapters, each theme was handled across the chapters, each of which was devoted to a month or short collection of months and that cross-chapter back and forth became a little difficult as well. The alternative would have slowed his narrative down and been too pedantic, but perhaps some greater length would have allowed for a fuller development, but again these are small concerns in an excellent book.
Also the
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2010
Complements the other book, Munich 1938, that I read recently, with appalling accounts of what happened to Austrian Jews. MacDonagh has an unusual writing style (clipped sentences, similar to reading news bulletins) that grew on me. Neither book holds many surprises, since the story is so familiar and the interpretations conventional. But this history of these years never fails to shock.
March 6, 2023
This was a very hard book to read, not because it wasn’t well written but because it was well written – on a very tough issue. The chapter on Reichskristallnacht (the Night of Broken Glass) brought tears to my eyes to the point where I had to pause absorbing the horrifying stories. This is despite previously reading much about this appalling night.
1938 is a book that takes the reader month by month through the start of WWII and the steady attack on Jews, not just in Germany by the Nazi’s but by other countries and countries from Brittan to the Netherlands closing their country from Jews trying to flee such anti-Sematic activities. Giles Macdonogh demonstrates that different decisions early could have rewritten history; Hitler was not confident in his efforts, had divisions within his leadership, and concerned about world views of their actions. Britton and other countries didn’t measure up to the problems facing humanity and continued to fail even with small concessions to save humans who were Jewish later.
Early in the book – and in Hitler’s quest for power – the author reviewed how Austria’s Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg had been called in by Hitler. The chancellor was worried and told Vienna Mayor Richard Schmitz that he was to take over if anything happened to him when he went to visit the supreme leader. It was reported Hitler’s outbursts could be heard from the floor below despite the door being shut while the Austrians met. The chancellor made concessions during lunch but then Hitler pushed him even further. The minority Nazis of Austria could forward again, continuing to take control. At the same time, Hitler was reaching out to Poland, trying to comfort them so he could build power. As Hitler continued to put pressure on Austria, he later “performed the first invasion by telephone in history,” because the government folded opposition and the leader left the country. Contrasting that, Viennese Mayor Schmitz was arrested when he refused to hang a swastika from city hall. Prior to his success, Macdonogh points to Hitler as unable to give commands or deal with the stress.
Jews fled, including driving to the Czech boarder and walking through the woods, leaving nearly everything behind. Many took trains to Brno. Sometimes Jews gave the Heil Hitler in their best German accents to disguise their true movement to flee because they were Jews. Bribes often worked. Sometimes they just left behind their car – and walked the rest of the way to freedom.
Countries and cities left behind were “de-Jew” according to Goebbels plans. Books were burned. Music was changed. Restaurants were required to hang signs banning Jews. Increasingly violence was directed at Jews, including requiring them to do humiliating tasks like requiring them to drink from a spittoon. In Berlin, Jews were restricted to one swimming pool, a few restaurants and cinemas. The hatred for Jews was so strong, Hitler signed the decree outlawing Jewish doctors in Austria despite that half of all doctors were Jewish. Jews even loss the right to serve in the military. What was heart breaking was this was after many of these Jewish families had served their country for centuries, viewing themselves as Germans or Austrians or Czechs but also as Jewish.
The book outlined how Hitler’s crew didn’t get along with one another. While Eichmann wanted the Jews out as quickly as possible, using some Jewish people’s funds to finance the others to leave Germany, Goring was grabbing the money for himself. The later violence against Jews caused many to lose their traveling documents. Jews were trying to find a home that was accepting of them, with most wanting to go to Palestine. Yet, Brittan was concerned about the “strong Arab demands for the complete stoppage” of Jewish immigrants. They put the cap at 75,000 Jews. Some 26,080 Jews stuck in India at the end of the war. By Summer, legal immigration for Jews was cut off. They could only escape with bribes, being baptized or other tricky means.
All this time, the author points out, most churches were silent. Some went along with the Nazis, including ringing church bells, to keep them from being the target. The Lutheran Church in Germany remained largely silent. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “She was silent when she should have cried out because the blood of the innocent was crying aloud to heaven.” Archbishop Lang started Sunday prayers for Jews in July. Quakers played a positive, brave role repeatedly, including securing the passage of over 4,000 out of unsafe areas. This is also the time when some Jews were sent to Ethiopia.
The wreckage of communities is the hidden story in this book. The author states that there were 26,236 Jewish businesses in Austria. All were destroyed by the antisemitic attacks, hurting the Austrian economy.
When Germany, France and the British met for another conference, the later allied parties once again failed; Chamberlain again failed. The powers saw that Hitler was prepared for war. He had kept the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia out of the discussions. Hitler even thought this would provide him the possibility of ridding the British and French forever.
Then there was the Night of Broken Glass on November 9-10, 1939. This book indicated that Goebbels led the effort, hoping to increase Jewish plight. Hitler played the denial card, worried mostly about international opinion. He was ready to fully engage. Hitler ordered 25,000 to 30,000 Jews were to be arrested. The Nazi produced thugs destroyed synagogues, burning those not connected with non-Jewish buildings, destroyed a Jewish hospital in Nuremberg, and a Jewish children’s home in Caputh. The mostly drunken hoodlums shot some Jewish people. For the first time, women were also the target of violence. Some Jews committed suicide, seeing such hatred and violence directed at them. And, some Gentiles spoke up for Jews. But, most didn’t.
The massive night of violence sent the clear signal to Jews that they were no longer welcomed and risked their lives and culture. Ironically, as the author points out, it also slowed the immigration of many Jews because the attack also destroyed many of the papers needed for Jews to leave the country. Destroying 76 synagogues entirely, setting another 191 on fire, destroying over 800 businesses and 117 private homes, closing down over 4,000 Jewish businesses and confiscating nearly 2,000 buildings from Jews and stealing their valuables also caught the attention of the international community. It also split Hitler’s leaders, with Goring upset that it was making it even harder to secure foreign currency and get Jews out of their area due to the loss of documents. Goebbels was on the other side, full of such hate he wanted the Jews to demolish the damaged synagogues.
The author also did a good job outlining some of the issues of those Jews who were getting out – or getting their children out of harms way. Many Jewish children who arrived in Britain without their parents were placed with families that were not Jewish, converting some and simply not celebrating their heritage with others. She reported that only 1,000 children were placed with Jewish foster parents of the 9,000 children who arrived.
By November 11th, Jews were excluded from business ownership, being able to attend theaters or German schools or universities. Their right to drive were revoked, were forbidden to go to cafes and restaurants, had their assets stolen from them, including jewelry except their wedding rings, and couldn’t be in the military.
The author ends the book by speaking about how Hitler was mostly alone but had a quest for more power, with a cabinet and usually not awake until lunchtime, spending his time reading fiction and watching movies. The economy was in shatters, although the author didn’t do the work to share what that meant and how he still fed his war machine. She did point out a major point in the closing of her book: “…that Chamberlain’s choosing not to fight – although utterly practical – was a disaster for the world.” What she didn’t remind the reader is that the real disaster was after WWI, the world allowed Germany to build a war machine that violated their agreement while most other nations shifted expenses away from defense, allowing Chamberlain to be in such a weak position and permitting Hitler to take advantage of those earlier decisions.
There were some wild facts shared in this book, including:
• French foreign minister Yvon Delbos once talked about sending Poland’s 3.5 million Jews to Madagascar.
• Gobbels, who had sex with at least one Jew, approved of the death penalty for Rassenchander, a gentile who slept with a Jew.
• There were some quiet heroes in the crisis, including Chinese consul-general Ho Fengshan who moved 4,000 Jewish residents to Shanghai. His driving force was that he as a Christian and believed it was the right thing to do.
This book was a quick read worth the time but not a book to truly understand the dynamics and consequences of WWII.
1938 is a book that takes the reader month by month through the start of WWII and the steady attack on Jews, not just in Germany by the Nazi’s but by other countries and countries from Brittan to the Netherlands closing their country from Jews trying to flee such anti-Sematic activities. Giles Macdonogh demonstrates that different decisions early could have rewritten history; Hitler was not confident in his efforts, had divisions within his leadership, and concerned about world views of their actions. Britton and other countries didn’t measure up to the problems facing humanity and continued to fail even with small concessions to save humans who were Jewish later.
Early in the book – and in Hitler’s quest for power – the author reviewed how Austria’s Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg had been called in by Hitler. The chancellor was worried and told Vienna Mayor Richard Schmitz that he was to take over if anything happened to him when he went to visit the supreme leader. It was reported Hitler’s outbursts could be heard from the floor below despite the door being shut while the Austrians met. The chancellor made concessions during lunch but then Hitler pushed him even further. The minority Nazis of Austria could forward again, continuing to take control. At the same time, Hitler was reaching out to Poland, trying to comfort them so he could build power. As Hitler continued to put pressure on Austria, he later “performed the first invasion by telephone in history,” because the government folded opposition and the leader left the country. Contrasting that, Viennese Mayor Schmitz was arrested when he refused to hang a swastika from city hall. Prior to his success, Macdonogh points to Hitler as unable to give commands or deal with the stress.
Jews fled, including driving to the Czech boarder and walking through the woods, leaving nearly everything behind. Many took trains to Brno. Sometimes Jews gave the Heil Hitler in their best German accents to disguise their true movement to flee because they were Jews. Bribes often worked. Sometimes they just left behind their car – and walked the rest of the way to freedom.
Countries and cities left behind were “de-Jew” according to Goebbels plans. Books were burned. Music was changed. Restaurants were required to hang signs banning Jews. Increasingly violence was directed at Jews, including requiring them to do humiliating tasks like requiring them to drink from a spittoon. In Berlin, Jews were restricted to one swimming pool, a few restaurants and cinemas. The hatred for Jews was so strong, Hitler signed the decree outlawing Jewish doctors in Austria despite that half of all doctors were Jewish. Jews even loss the right to serve in the military. What was heart breaking was this was after many of these Jewish families had served their country for centuries, viewing themselves as Germans or Austrians or Czechs but also as Jewish.
The book outlined how Hitler’s crew didn’t get along with one another. While Eichmann wanted the Jews out as quickly as possible, using some Jewish people’s funds to finance the others to leave Germany, Goring was grabbing the money for himself. The later violence against Jews caused many to lose their traveling documents. Jews were trying to find a home that was accepting of them, with most wanting to go to Palestine. Yet, Brittan was concerned about the “strong Arab demands for the complete stoppage” of Jewish immigrants. They put the cap at 75,000 Jews. Some 26,080 Jews stuck in India at the end of the war. By Summer, legal immigration for Jews was cut off. They could only escape with bribes, being baptized or other tricky means.
All this time, the author points out, most churches were silent. Some went along with the Nazis, including ringing church bells, to keep them from being the target. The Lutheran Church in Germany remained largely silent. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “She was silent when she should have cried out because the blood of the innocent was crying aloud to heaven.” Archbishop Lang started Sunday prayers for Jews in July. Quakers played a positive, brave role repeatedly, including securing the passage of over 4,000 out of unsafe areas. This is also the time when some Jews were sent to Ethiopia.
The wreckage of communities is the hidden story in this book. The author states that there were 26,236 Jewish businesses in Austria. All were destroyed by the antisemitic attacks, hurting the Austrian economy.
When Germany, France and the British met for another conference, the later allied parties once again failed; Chamberlain again failed. The powers saw that Hitler was prepared for war. He had kept the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia out of the discussions. Hitler even thought this would provide him the possibility of ridding the British and French forever.
Then there was the Night of Broken Glass on November 9-10, 1939. This book indicated that Goebbels led the effort, hoping to increase Jewish plight. Hitler played the denial card, worried mostly about international opinion. He was ready to fully engage. Hitler ordered 25,000 to 30,000 Jews were to be arrested. The Nazi produced thugs destroyed synagogues, burning those not connected with non-Jewish buildings, destroyed a Jewish hospital in Nuremberg, and a Jewish children’s home in Caputh. The mostly drunken hoodlums shot some Jewish people. For the first time, women were also the target of violence. Some Jews committed suicide, seeing such hatred and violence directed at them. And, some Gentiles spoke up for Jews. But, most didn’t.
The massive night of violence sent the clear signal to Jews that they were no longer welcomed and risked their lives and culture. Ironically, as the author points out, it also slowed the immigration of many Jews because the attack also destroyed many of the papers needed for Jews to leave the country. Destroying 76 synagogues entirely, setting another 191 on fire, destroying over 800 businesses and 117 private homes, closing down over 4,000 Jewish businesses and confiscating nearly 2,000 buildings from Jews and stealing their valuables also caught the attention of the international community. It also split Hitler’s leaders, with Goring upset that it was making it even harder to secure foreign currency and get Jews out of their area due to the loss of documents. Goebbels was on the other side, full of such hate he wanted the Jews to demolish the damaged synagogues.
The author also did a good job outlining some of the issues of those Jews who were getting out – or getting their children out of harms way. Many Jewish children who arrived in Britain without their parents were placed with families that were not Jewish, converting some and simply not celebrating their heritage with others. She reported that only 1,000 children were placed with Jewish foster parents of the 9,000 children who arrived.
By November 11th, Jews were excluded from business ownership, being able to attend theaters or German schools or universities. Their right to drive were revoked, were forbidden to go to cafes and restaurants, had their assets stolen from them, including jewelry except their wedding rings, and couldn’t be in the military.
The author ends the book by speaking about how Hitler was mostly alone but had a quest for more power, with a cabinet and usually not awake until lunchtime, spending his time reading fiction and watching movies. The economy was in shatters, although the author didn’t do the work to share what that meant and how he still fed his war machine. She did point out a major point in the closing of her book: “…that Chamberlain’s choosing not to fight – although utterly practical – was a disaster for the world.” What she didn’t remind the reader is that the real disaster was after WWI, the world allowed Germany to build a war machine that violated their agreement while most other nations shifted expenses away from defense, allowing Chamberlain to be in such a weak position and permitting Hitler to take advantage of those earlier decisions.
There were some wild facts shared in this book, including:
• French foreign minister Yvon Delbos once talked about sending Poland’s 3.5 million Jews to Madagascar.
• Gobbels, who had sex with at least one Jew, approved of the death penalty for Rassenchander, a gentile who slept with a Jew.
• There were some quiet heroes in the crisis, including Chinese consul-general Ho Fengshan who moved 4,000 Jewish residents to Shanghai. His driving force was that he as a Christian and believed it was the right thing to do.
This book was a quick read worth the time but not a book to truly understand the dynamics and consequences of WWII.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2010
This is the first truly negative book review I have ever given.
What disturbs me the most about this book was the LACK of information given by the author. When I first picked up this book, I was actually scared knowing that once again I was going to have to re-read and learn even more about the gruesome history that Hitler and his Nazis had permanently marked the face of human history with. However, MacDonogh's way of reporting "history" during this time is condescending in its lack of detail. This author paints Hitler as child-like and prudish; a man who pouts and throws fits when he doesn't get what he wants and then just does what he wants anyways. MacDonogh presents the Nazis as simple bullies that go about taking people's money and breaking windows. This is all true, but he forgets to mention the millions of MURDERS and victims that these people are responsible for. The brutality, the violence, the pure evil of this time cannot be down played, skipped over, or soothed. This book is one of the reasons why history repeats itself! I'm tired of politically correct people.
What disturbs me the most about this book was the LACK of information given by the author. When I first picked up this book, I was actually scared knowing that once again I was going to have to re-read and learn even more about the gruesome history that Hitler and his Nazis had permanently marked the face of human history with. However, MacDonogh's way of reporting "history" during this time is condescending in its lack of detail. This author paints Hitler as child-like and prudish; a man who pouts and throws fits when he doesn't get what he wants and then just does what he wants anyways. MacDonogh presents the Nazis as simple bullies that go about taking people's money and breaking windows. This is all true, but he forgets to mention the millions of MURDERS and victims that these people are responsible for. The brutality, the violence, the pure evil of this time cannot be down played, skipped over, or soothed. This book is one of the reasons why history repeats itself! I'm tired of politically correct people.
December 10, 2012
This is sobering history. The melancholy fact that Hitler might've been stopped at several points before bringing about the cataclysm of WW II is profoundly disturbing. A good addition to the scholarship regarding the Third Reich.
December 12, 2021
This books was tedious, and the author has an eye for detail and nothing else.
Titled "1938: Hitler's Gamble", Hitler is reduced to a minor character in this narrative, as the author chooses rather to describe Jewish emigration from the Reich in a nauseating level of detail. Nothing that is inherently uninteresting, but the author makes it so by repeatedly providing the raw emigration numbers to various European and Middle-Eastern countries, among other things. There is of course a bewildering array of German officials, Nazi Party Members, generals, prominent Jews and Jewish organizations, clergy members, diplomats, and non-profit organizations to mentally keep track of, and if you don't persist in writing everything down you will be totally lost by the end.
I still learned some stuff and don't regret reading this book, but it was an absolute grind to get through (although mercifully less than 300 pages).
Titled "1938: Hitler's Gamble", Hitler is reduced to a minor character in this narrative, as the author chooses rather to describe Jewish emigration from the Reich in a nauseating level of detail. Nothing that is inherently uninteresting, but the author makes it so by repeatedly providing the raw emigration numbers to various European and Middle-Eastern countries, among other things. There is of course a bewildering array of German officials, Nazi Party Members, generals, prominent Jews and Jewish organizations, clergy members, diplomats, and non-profit organizations to mentally keep track of, and if you don't persist in writing everything down you will be totally lost by the end.
I still learned some stuff and don't regret reading this book, but it was an absolute grind to get through (although mercifully less than 300 pages).
December 22, 2017
If you are interested as to how he got away with so much - Read this book.
September 1, 2018
Well written and somehow manages to be terribly boring. Next!
October 1, 2018
Interesting historical read
August 5, 2019
It was hard going, very tedious. Took me nearly two months to finish. Very detailed, I'd probably need to read it a few times to take it all in.
January 24, 2016
Although I've been spending quite some years here, I was never really inclined to read a history book about this evil guy. I mainly informed myself from movies like Downfall (2004) or Holocaust films (e.g. Schindler's List, 1993; Life is Beautiful, 1997; the Pianist, 2002) and said to myself, okay, that's enough of horridness of this sick era, I think I knew enough (I don't even want to watch Boy in Pyjamas because I'm sure it will make me feel depressed). But this book lies there in the cupboard (it's my landlady's), and while planning to read a book about Stalin, after I skimmed the first pages of this book, it seems quite interesting and so I ended up reading it as well. I had to use a book cover while reading it in public because I was afraid I'll offend someone. Haha.
The book tells about the political and life situation in Germany in the year of 1938, right before the second world war starts. Of course the focus was on Hitler and his closest comrades, trying to get the attention of their leader while pushing their own agenda. Then there are some details of what is going on with German citizens dealing with the ever rising anti-semitism. How different churches converted so many Jews so to safe them from prosecution and being kicked out from the country. The failed effort of Chamberlain to maintained peace. The increasingly scary application of Nuremberg Law. How the NAZI was driven in the grass roots level by thugs, mostly twisted minded youngsters who thought that they're the better race (oh God. So creepy). How Hitler's plan to expand his territory while keep on pushing away German Jewish made this people caught in between with nowhere else to go. I find it so chilling when I read how after being pushed away and stripped from everything they know, their home, their daily life, their roots, these thousands of people who had to go away from everything they know, mostly didn't even have an option about where to go. European countries started to close their borders. Some other countries opened up theirs but with so many limitation (and how the heck people who got stripped off from everything they have manage to go across so far to... Australia for example? How much money do they even have left??). It's so eerie that that's also what's happening nowadays, right? :(
The difficult thing about reading this book might be due to the plenty different names kept being pulled in the story without background story. I guess it's easier for people who have read plenty about this era, but I had to have my phone next to me all the time to google the different names or incidents to put me into context while reading it.
I remember reading a post from Humans of New York when the author posted a story about Syrian refugees in Greece, the old guy who saved them was unexpectedly kind and helpful, and he told them somewhere in the line of: 'I've experienced what you're going through now, leaving everything you know because you have to save your lives. Nothing is worse than that. Of course I will help.'
I sure do hope that we're all better human being now, that will readily open up our hands to help other fellow human beings, regardless...
The book tells about the political and life situation in Germany in the year of 1938, right before the second world war starts. Of course the focus was on Hitler and his closest comrades, trying to get the attention of their leader while pushing their own agenda. Then there are some details of what is going on with German citizens dealing with the ever rising anti-semitism. How different churches converted so many Jews so to safe them from prosecution and being kicked out from the country. The failed effort of Chamberlain to maintained peace. The increasingly scary application of Nuremberg Law. How the NAZI was driven in the grass roots level by thugs, mostly twisted minded youngsters who thought that they're the better race (oh God. So creepy). How Hitler's plan to expand his territory while keep on pushing away German Jewish made this people caught in between with nowhere else to go. I find it so chilling when I read how after being pushed away and stripped from everything they know, their home, their daily life, their roots, these thousands of people who had to go away from everything they know, mostly didn't even have an option about where to go. European countries started to close their borders. Some other countries opened up theirs but with so many limitation (and how the heck people who got stripped off from everything they have manage to go across so far to... Australia for example? How much money do they even have left??). It's so eerie that that's also what's happening nowadays, right? :(
The difficult thing about reading this book might be due to the plenty different names kept being pulled in the story without background story. I guess it's easier for people who have read plenty about this era, but I had to have my phone next to me all the time to google the different names or incidents to put me into context while reading it.
I remember reading a post from Humans of New York when the author posted a story about Syrian refugees in Greece, the old guy who saved them was unexpectedly kind and helpful, and he told them somewhere in the line of: 'I've experienced what you're going through now, leaving everything you know because you have to save your lives. Nothing is worse than that. Of course I will help.'
I sure do hope that we're all better human being now, that will readily open up our hands to help other fellow human beings, regardless...
July 8, 2014
I thought this was going to be an analysis of the diplomatic moves of the key year in the 1930s but the bulk of it is an indictment of the Austrians post-Anschluss and the travails of its Jewish population as the escape avenues are closed off over the course of the final two years before the war.
Opens well with the Blomberg-Fritsch affair, though glossing over the fact that Blomberg was an ardent Nazi himself and so possibly allowing more sympathy to accrue than might otherwise be the case.
The Sudeten crises feels superficially treated by comparison and the problem with detailing the abuses of those that found themselves in Dachau and Buchenwald at such length is that it pales in comparison with the horrors of what's to come and I felt the amount of space given to that was disproportionate in light of my own interests - the complete inability of the democratic mindset of the western powers to comprehend and deal with a state taken over by gangsters.
I also have to take issue with the statement that most of the perpetrators were also consumed by the coming conflagration - unfortunately even a cursory wikipedia search for prominent Nazis mentioned shows way too many survived to a ripe old age after at best 5 years in prison.
That said this is a really well written and informative, as far as it goes, worthwhile read.
For the rise of the Nazis and their incrementalist juridical approach to achieving a stranglehold on power and marginalising their enemies it is hard to beat Karl Schleune's fascinating 'The Twisted Road to Auschwitz'.
Opens well with the Blomberg-Fritsch affair, though glossing over the fact that Blomberg was an ardent Nazi himself and so possibly allowing more sympathy to accrue than might otherwise be the case.
The Sudeten crises feels superficially treated by comparison and the problem with detailing the abuses of those that found themselves in Dachau and Buchenwald at such length is that it pales in comparison with the horrors of what's to come and I felt the amount of space given to that was disproportionate in light of my own interests - the complete inability of the democratic mindset of the western powers to comprehend and deal with a state taken over by gangsters.
I also have to take issue with the statement that most of the perpetrators were also consumed by the coming conflagration - unfortunately even a cursory wikipedia search for prominent Nazis mentioned shows way too many survived to a ripe old age after at best 5 years in prison.
That said this is a really well written and informative, as far as it goes, worthwhile read.
For the rise of the Nazis and their incrementalist juridical approach to achieving a stranglehold on power and marginalising their enemies it is hard to beat Karl Schleune's fascinating 'The Twisted Road to Auschwitz'.
July 16, 2016
Very detailed summary of events leading up to the invasion of Czechoslovakia. The format of the book is a month-to-month chronicle of events. The problem with this format is that the reader is left to pick up different narrative lines on each chapter. On the other hand, this format helps the reader understand the build up to the (not) inevitable start of WWII. The main shortcoming of this book, in my opinion, is a lack of proper analysis of events and their subsequent consequences. The book gets bogged down in a myriad small details and examples, sometimes missing the proverbial forest for the trees. On the positive side, the book presents a very good in depth summaries of some not well-known pre-war events such as the Austrian Anschluss, pervasive European antisemitism, and the dysfunctional Hitler's inner circle. Recommended to WWII history buffs and/or anyone with some background knowledge of pre-war European politics.
December 10, 2012
A gripping account month by month of this year that made WWII inevitable. Looking back we can see how differently things might have worked out if the bullies had been faced down. And how widespread was anti-Semitism in Europe.
MacDonogh gives the essential mix of detail for us to place ourselves at the time. It made me reflect how the little affairs and crises we 'get over' in a week or so can in fact be final stepping stones to disaster. The shameful prevarication in helping resettlement of the German and Austrian Jews in the face of terror just jumps out of the pages.
A very helpful insight into how modern society can develop.
MacDonogh gives the essential mix of detail for us to place ourselves at the time. It made me reflect how the little affairs and crises we 'get over' in a week or so can in fact be final stepping stones to disaster. The shameful prevarication in helping resettlement of the German and Austrian Jews in the face of terror just jumps out of the pages.
A very helpful insight into how modern society can develop.
May 26, 2010
2.5 stars
"Masterful narrative"?? I must have read the wrong version. Certainly a great deal of good information, but very, very dry. Even as a reader fascinated by WWII history, I had to force myself to finish it. Rarely does a book take me longer than a week to finish, but this one took a month.
"Masterful narrative"?? I must have read the wrong version. Certainly a great deal of good information, but very, very dry. Even as a reader fascinated by WWII history, I had to force myself to finish it. Rarely does a book take me longer than a week to finish, but this one took a month.
January 1, 2015
Honestly, I struggled reading this book because, much like a technical book, it was very detailed. I thought it would just tackle the author's analysis of the year before the start of World War II.
But nevertheless, I was struck and saddened by stories regarding the repression of the Jews, and their struggle to save themselves and their families from unfair treatment.
But nevertheless, I was struck and saddened by stories regarding the repression of the Jews, and their struggle to save themselves and their families from unfair treatment.
August 3, 2011
Readable, rather than dense. Proceeds as one chapter per month, covering the Nazi progress into Austria, Czechoslovaki, and more, and the beginnings of "cleansing" that became the holocaust. Kind of who's who of Nazis but sometimes it seems like a pile of names.
October 28, 2013
An interesting approach in looking at a single year in Hitler's rise in Europe but it works. Incredibly detailed and leaves you with the overriding impression of how on earth could this have happened.
November 3, 2014
An incredible account of the international duplicity which gave rise to the Nazi regime. Meticulously researched and brilliantly written, the Author covers the principal actors and agencies in depth, and outlines the effects they had on the course of history.
January 8, 2015
A little knowledge of the Third Reich will help understanding this book. While it presumably sticks to a narrative timeline the players names on a scorecard would help.
Eventually MacDonogh comes across with the information that his family was/is involved in the story he's telling.
Eventually MacDonogh comes across with the information that his family was/is involved in the story he's telling.
December 31, 2015
Didn't have that much to do with Hitler or his gamble. It was mostly about how many Jews went or were sent to each country before the Nazis came up with the 'final solution'. Pretty difficult to follow at times because of the huge huge amount of names.
January 14, 2013
Many names, hard to follow. The two themes that were throughout the book were perhaps one too many for me.
July 4, 2015
Good, but not memorable - well supported
Read
April 13, 2018A sorrowful and slogging read, but engaging and more personal than you would anticipate. The central thesis, that Hitler acted in the moment and without long-term plans in 1938, is overshadowed by the month-by-month detail of increasingly policies towards Jews.
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