How the Nazis came to power in Germany. Sandbrook traces the economic, political, and cultural conditions that made Hitler's rise possible — and argues that it wasn't inevitable until very late in the process.
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Highlights
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Democracy can be destroyed from within by its own mechanisms
Hitler came to power through elections, parliamentary maneuvering, and emergency constitutional provisions. The Weimar Republic's democratic institutions were used to destroy democracy.
Economic crisis creates demand for authoritarian solutions
The Nazis received 2.6% of the vote in 1928. After the Great Depression hit, they received 37% in 1932. Economic catastrophe didn't just help the Nazis — it made them.