Nazi Seizure of Power (Social Studies: History of the World) [Paperback]

William Sheridan Allen (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 388 pages
• Publisher: Franklin Watts; Revised edition (March 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0531056333
• ISBN-13: 978-0531056332
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,937 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #30 in Books > History > Europe > Germany

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Northeim and the Nazi Serzure of Power., November 11, 2005

By 

Kevin M Quigg (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Nazi Seizure of Power (Social Studies: History of the World) (Paperback)

This is a good book to read in explaining how a democratic society became totalitarian in a span of six months. THe author Allen explains it using the small town of Northeim in Hanover. Northeim was a typical town that weathered the turmoil of the twenties and thirties. In 1932, 66% percent of the population voted for the Nazis. In 1933, the Nazis took over the town administration and basically wiped out any opposition by the SPD or Nationalists. This book explains how the Nazis did it on a small scale. Initial violence, concentration camps, firing of those who held opposite political views, and police raids silenced the opposition. They were so silenced that the town did not get back its freedom till 1945.

This is a fairly long book and centered more toward the academic audience. However it gives a great view of how Germany changed overnight when Hindenburg selected Hitler to be his Chancellor. Democracy died a quick death, even at the local level. A great read for those trying to understand the Nazis.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and Explanitory History, May 13, 2001

By 

Jeffrey D Kramer (Freiburg, Breisgau Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nazi Seizure of Power (Social Studies: History of the World) (Paperback)

By tracing the personal histories of the inhabitants of Nordheim and the practical workings of the local Nazi party structures, Allen illustrates the reasons for the sudden and powerful rise to power of the NSDAP in a way that is insightful and memorable. By using such details as excerpts from local newspapers, attendance records of Nazi and non-Nazi events, and memories of the still-living Nordheim residents, Allen is able to give an amazingly detailed and yet concise and easily readable view of the events and feelings that proceeded and stemmed from the Nazi rise to power.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent example of how fragile democracy really is, July 7, 2003

By 

Matt Heller (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nazi Seizure of Power (Social Studies: History of the World) (Paperback)

Sheridan uses one community to explain how the Nazis (NSDAP) were able to gain power in an entire country within the democratic system. His exhaustive research of local archives shows how the NSDAP was able to set up an effiecient bureaucracy that simply outworked other parties and spread their message through 1000's of meetings. Extremists (from the right or left) don't always take power through military force - sometimes the open nature of democracies can be used to subvert them, as was the case in Germany in 1933. True, there are many other factors involved, but Sheridan's book provides clear examples that are often overlooked.