The National Democratic Party

The National Democratic Party: Right Radicalism in the Federal Republic of Germany offers a comprehensive exploration of the emergence and impact of the NPD during the transformative postwar years of West Germany. Set against the backdrop of the Wirtschaftswunder and the democratic consolidation of the Bundesrepublik, this study examines the social, political, and economic factors that enabled the far-right to gain traction amidst a period of government instability and economic challenges. By tracing the party’s origins, electoral strategies, and ideological underpinnings, the book uncovers how the NPD sought to channel discontent into a political force that disrupted the postwar consensus.

This incisive analysis situates the NPD within a broader framework of right-radical movements across Western democracies, drawing parallels to groups like the Birch Society in the United States and the Poujadists in France. It also interrogates the deep-seated anxieties of a society grappling with urbanization, modernization, and the lingering scars of the Nazi era. Rich in historical detail and political insight, The National Democratic Party: Right Radicalism in the Federal Republic of Germany is an essential resource for scholars and students of political science, history, and European studies, offering valuable lessons on the vulnerabilities of democratic systems in times of social and economic change.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1970.