The Death of Democracy

About this book

Brilliant. A timely reminder of the fragility of democracy and the dangers of extreme nationalism. Nikolaus Wachsmann author of KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps Intelligent well-informed... intriguing. The Times In this post-truth alternative-facts American moment The Death of Democracy is essential reading. Kurt Andersen author of Fantasyland An outstanding accomplishment. Rick Perlstein author of Nixonland A revelatory account of the fall of the Weimar Republic and the rise of Hitler based on new and award-winning research and recently discovered archival material. The Death of Democracy explores one of the great questions in all of human history: what caused the fall of one of the most progressive governments in twentieth-century Europe and the rise of the most terrifying? Drawing on extraordinary individual stories to illustrate its broader arguments this revelatory new account presents a panoramic portrait of Germany at a turning point focusing on the global dimension of the Nazi phenomenon as part of a widespread reaction against a world order of triumphant cosmopolitan liberal democracy and capitalism after the First World War. This was a world situation that pushed its opponents to embrace authoritarianism nationalism and economic self-sufficiency kick-starting a revolution reliant upon the innovative exploitation of new media technologies and the formidable political and self-promotional skills of its leader. Based on award-winning research and recently discovered archival material The Death of Democracy is an authoritative and panoramic new survey of one of the most pivotal periods in modern history and a book with a clear and important message for the world today.