The Politics of Hate: Anti-Semitism History, and the Holocaust in Modern Europe [Hardcover]

John Weiss (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 28, 2003

For educated and tolerant Westerners, it is extremely difficult to imagine the dangerous power that anti-Semitism has enjoyed in modern Europe and impossible to grasp how it could have led to the unique horrors of the Holocaust. To study the origins and history of anti-Semitism by itself helps little. To fully grasp the dangerous potential of racism we must also know the relationships between the fantasies of the anti-Semites and the long-term historical development of various nations. In The Politics of Hate, John Weiss shows how anti-Semitism and racism developed as a major element in the European political process from the late nineteenth century to the Holocaust. Concentrating on the experience of Germany, Austria, France, and Poland, Mr. Weiss traces the combination of ideas and national cultures that brought venomous consequences to political life and spelled difficulty and then doom for Jews. In a separate chapter on Italy, he explains why anti-Semitism never took hold there, and why even during World War II, under Nazi control, Jews in Italy were relatively protected. The reasons for these developments—why Germany initiated the Holocaust, why the Austrians supplied so many killers, why a million French fascists could not damage the Jews until the Vichy government came to power, why anti-Semitism was far stronger in Eastern than in Western Europe—help us understand why the politics of racial hate succeed and what can be done about it.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Why did Germany initiate the Holocaust, when rabid anti-Semites could be found nearly everywhere in Europe, often in proportionally greater numbers than within the Reich? Why was anti-Semitism generally stronger in Eastern rather than Western Europe? Why was hatred of Jews much less central to Italian fascism than it was for Italy's northern neighbors? Weiss, author of Ideology of Death: Why the Holocaust Happened in Germany (1996), revisits his earlier work in discussing the uniqueness of German anti-Semitism but expands the scope of his latest work to all of Europe. Working from a primarily political perspective (i.e., emphasizing elections and governmental policy), the author analyzes the use of anti-Semitism for political leverage as well as the use of political power to enforce and institutionalize hatred. Weiss uses Poland, France, and Italy along with (of course) Germany and Austria to argue that Enlightenment philosophy and free-market capitalism did not prevent anti-Semitism but often reduced its ability to permeate universities and influence decision makers. This well-argued book reminds us that racially defined power struggles are far from extinct. Brendan Driscoll
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

A thoughtful survey...a useful overview of the rise—and, it is to be hoped, fall—of European race hatred. (Kirkus Reviews )

A succinct yet detailed examination...offers a more nuanced portrait than most.... An important and illuminating contribution. (Stanislao G. Pugliese )

Wonderfully insightful.... Written with verve and eminently readable..an inspiration. (Frederick M. Schweitzer )

A concise, lucid, clear-headed account . . . acute . . . a refreshing and important book, a timely warning. (Robert Wistrich )

The book is informed by wide reading. . . . Its ideas are provocative and well argued. (Choice )

More than just another holocaust history. . . . A fine survey of how the politics of hate actually evolve. (Midwest Book Review )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Ivan R Dee (January 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156663492X
• ISBN-13: 978-1566634922
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,159,930 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent analysis of Anti-Semitism in Europe., January 26, 2004

By 

Masaki Tanaka "mtanaka7" (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Politics of Hate: Anti-Semitism History, and the Holocaust in Modern Europe (Hardcover)

The book is well-balanced and easy-to-understand exploration on Anti-Semitism in Europe, especially in Germany, Austria, Poland, France and Italy. In the opening chapter, the author points five origins of Anti-Semitism, that is, confrontation with Christianity, commercial reasons, denunciations of Jewish liberal and progressive movements, (biased) influences of Anthropology (Eugenics), and ethnic nationalism; however, the author offers an excellent account of the histrical process of Anti-Semitism from late nineteenth century to th Holocaust. It is also interesting that the author explains why and how Anti-Semitism made a difference among countries mentioned-above; what seems to be the most significant is the reasons why only in Italy Anti-Semitism did not prevail. Far from any prejudice, a very lucid work!

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars One Man's Views, July 7, 2005

By 

James Taylor - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Politics of Hate: Anti-Semitism History, and the Holocaust in Modern Europe (Hardcover)

This book is poorly written, but far worse is that the author, while making numerous generalizations, cites almost nothing (four pages of notes). A collection of one expert's views without evidential support, John Weiss' book is practically useless to those doing serious research into the Holocaust.