A Concise History of the Third Reich (Weimar and Now: German Cultural Criticism) [Hardcover]

Wolfgang Benz (Author), Thomas Dunlap (Translator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0520234898 | ISBN-13: 978-0520234895 | Publication Date: April 17, 2006 | Edition: 1

This well-illustrated, highly accessible book at last gives general readers and students a compact, yet comprehensive and authoritative history of the twelve years of the Third Reich--from political takeover of January 30, 1933 to the German capitulation of May 1945. Originally published to rave reviews in Germany, A Concise History of the Third Reich describes the establishment of the totalitarian dictatorship, the domestic and foreign politics of the regime, everyday life and terror in National Socialist Germany, the events leading to World War II and the war itself, various forms of resistance against Hitler, and the Holocaust. The book's extensive illustrations are thoroughly treated as documents that illuminate the visual power of Nazi ideology.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Does anyone really need yet another book on Nazi Germany? After the masterworks of Richard Evans's multivolume history and Ian Kershaw's two-volume biography of Hitler, a certain ennui sets in. Benz is a leading German historian, the director of Berlin's Center for Research on Antisemitism. In this book, he sets out to accomplish what he did previously in The Holocaust: provide a concise, authoritative account, this time for the entire history of the Third Reich. At this he succeeds. Everything is here: the rise of the Nazi movement, the establishment of the dictatorship, culture, war, Holocaust and, finally, the collapse. Yet the treatment is flat, almost textbooklike. So many of the major interpretive issues that have engaged historians worldwide and the broader public in Germany are absent. For instance, Benz writes of the Hitler youth organization, but overlooks the question of how to incorporate into our interpretation of the Third Reich the experience of girls in the organization who often felt a sense of emancipation from the strictures of home and church. What were the connections between other forms of persecution and the Holocaust? How modern was the Third Reich? A concise interpretive work would have made for a much more satisfying book. B&w photos. (Apr.)
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From Booklist

Benz's history of Germany covers the period from January 1933, when President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Hitler chancellor, to Germany's surrender in May 1945. Originally published in Germany, the book examines such issues as the consolidation of power, the crisis and the triumph of the dictatorship, society under the Nazis, economic and social discontent with--and opposition to--the National Socialist state, and the persecution and murder of the Jews. Benz also discusses the nation's road to war and the war itself, daily life in wartime, and, finally, the collapse of the Third Reich. With 137 black-and-white photographs, this book will provide readers with a good foundation for understanding modern Germany under the rule of a madman. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 331 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (April 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520234898
• ISBN-13: 978-0520234895
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #722,744 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Concise History, January 9, 2011

By 

G.X. Larson (Southeastern Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Concise History of the Third Reich (Weimar and Now: German Cultural Criticism) (Paperback)

This book is a 280-odd page introduction to the Third Reich. In this volume on Germany during the Nazi years Professor Benz (of the Technische Universität Berlin) includes helpful survey chapters on imperial Germany and Weimar Germany. His discussion of the Third Reich thus begins with the birth of the NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers Party) in the wake of the Great War. What follows is a concise history of Nazi Germany that is not strictly chronological nor thematic in its approach, filled with numerous black-and-white photographs (almost one photo on every other page, yet there are no helpful maps). Sadly, this is not the ideal or definitive book on the Third Reich, as it is merely an introduction. Readers looking for more specific treatments on subjects and themes concerning the Third Reich should definitely look elsewhere, such as books by Fritzsche, Browning, Gay, Tooze, and Kershaw. Nevertheless Benz's introductory text will meet the demands of those looking for an illustrated introduction in less than 300 pages.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast service, cheap price, January 9, 2012

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Tina Baun - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Concise History of the Third Reich (Weimar and Now: German Cultural Criticism) (Paperback)

My daughter needed this book for her college course. Got the book for a great price and I received it very quickly. Will definitely buy books again.