Hitler (2nd Edition) (Profiles in Power Series) | Ian Kershaw

Hitler (2nd Edition) (Profiles in Power Series) | Ian Kershaw | Unique investigation of Hitler and his rise to power.

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Hitler (2nd Editio...

	Hitler (2nd Edition) (Profiles in Power Series) Ian Kershaw Longman, 2000 - 240 pages average customer review:based on 4 reviews view larger image
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Hitler'...this short book ought to be read by everybody with any interest, whether general or specialized, in Hitler and the Third Reich.' History Adolf Hitler has left a lasting mark on the twentieth-century, as the dictator of Germany and instigator of a genocidal war, culminating in the ruin of much of Europe and the globe. This innovative best-seller explores the nature and mechanics of Hitler's power, and how he used it. On the face of it, Adolf Hitler was an unlikely candidate for dictatorial power. Why, of all the fanatics in Germany after the First World War, was it Hitler who found such mass appeal?How did such an unimpressive figure come to take control of the machinery of a complex modern state?Why - contrary to all expectations - was his authority not curtailed by the traditional ruling classes and constitutional constraints?What did his personal role in the shaping of policy amount to?Was he personally taking the key decisions, right to the very end? Professor Kershaw answers these questions to provide a lucid introduction to the character and exercise of Hitler's dictatorial power. Ian Kershaw is Professor of Modern History at the University of Sheffield.He has written widely on Hitler and the Third Reich and is author of the now definitive comprehensive biography Hitler, 1889-1936: Hubris (1998) and a second volume due in 2000. In addition to his publications, he was consultant to the BAFTA-winning BBC-TV series The Nazis: A Warning from History, to the BBC2 programme War of the Century, to ZDF's Hitler: eine Bilanz and to ZDF's series in preparation on the Holocaust.

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Excellent study by the best Hitler biographer

Ian Kershaw is the premier historian on Hitler and Nazi Germany and this book from the Profiles in Power series is an excellent study on the roots, success, and ultimate destruction of the "Fuehrercult." Two schools of thought are used by historians to understand the power of Nazism. "Intentionalists" see the Nazi regime as the embodiment of Hitler as the totalitarian leader. "Structuralists," however, believe the policies and, ultimately, the crimes of Nazi Germany were stumbled upon by underlings working under a loose framework rather than a deliberate program. As one would expect, Kershaw takes from both these theories to develop his comprehensive profile.

Kershaw examines Hitler's worldview of racial struggle, anti-Semitism, and living space for the German empire--how these ideas developed (Hitler's background) and how Hitler used them to create his leadership image. This Fuehrercult unified a fractional party, helped repress opposition, and created a mass following. Through Hitler's charismatic leadership the German people would be prepared to fight the Nazi fight (inevitably WWII). Kershaw also looks at the feudal-like power relations inside the Third Reich; a regime of open-ended decrees that left no "smoking gun" pointing at Hitler for the Final Solution. Finally, Kershaw examines the destruction of Hitler's power during which the irrational optimism that "Providence" (i.e. Hitler's will) would prevail was still believed by many (particularly the 'court' of Hitler's bunker). I recommend this book especially to advanced history students who want an in-depth examination of Hitler's power in a compact 230-page book. The book includes footnotes, an index, a chapter on further readings, and a chronology of events.

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Unique investigation of Hitler and his rise to power.

It is not your typical biography of Hitler. It is a thorough examination and analysis of Hitler's rise to power. It examines how he got power, how he maintained power, how he used power, and, finally, how he lost power. Quite an interesting book. Be sure to check out other books in this "Profiles in Power" series.

Hitler (2nd Edition)

This is a good read, but like most books on Hitler it's all pretty much the same.

structural analysis

This book Focuses on the power structure of the nazi party. It doesn't reveal much about personalities or everyday life, but describes the interrelation between the beauracrats, industrialists, land owners, populace, and nazi party members. It is appropriate for anyone interested in political structures and how they are held together. It gives a fascinating look into the accumulation of power into one charismatic leader and the appointed henchmen/disciples who would literrally do anything to please the whims of their demigod, and thus gain more power for themselves, And how this monopolistic and 'anarchic' power structure ultimately led to such a terribly disfunctional outcome.

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