From Weimar to Hitler

Though often depicted as a rapid political transformation, the Nazi seizure of power was in fact a slow process, beginning with the appointment of the Papen cabinet in the early summer of 1932 and extending through the Roehm blood purge two years later. Across fifteen rigorous and carefully researched chapters, From Weimar to Hitler gives a compelling collective investigation of this critical period in modern German history. Each case study presents new empirical research on the crisis of Weimar democracy, the establishment of the Nazi dictatorship, and Hitler's consolidation of power. Together, they provide multiple perspectives on the question of the extent to which the Nazis' rise was historically predetermined or the product of human miscalculation and intent.