How culture flowered, the economy collapsed and democracy died in the Weimar Republic
Victor Sebestyen's account of the Weimar Republic explores its decline and the factors leading to the rise of authoritarianism. The book highlights the political violence and societal divisions that plagued Germany during this period. It also emphasizes the cultural achievements of the era while detailing the failures of its democratic institutions.
- ▪Political violence, including numerous assassinations, marked the Weimar Republic from 1918 to 1933.
- ▪The judiciary imposed minimal sentences on right-wing criminals, undermining the rule of law.
- ▪The Social Democrats and Jews were scapegoated for Germany's defeat in World War I, fueling further political instability.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Weimar Germany: Death of a Democracy by Victor Sebestyen In his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon suggested history is “little more than the register of the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind”. Victor Sebestyen’s outstanding account of the decline and fall of the Weimar Republic is subtitled Death of a Democracy, but might equally well have been called A Study in Crime, Folly and Misfortune. He reminds us of the appalling level of political violence, including numerous assassinations, between November 1918, when Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated, and January 1933, when Hitler was made Chancellor. The judiciary, which remained monarchist by conviction, imposed negligible sentences on right-wing assassins and thugs, or often no sentence at all.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ConservativeHome.
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