My Amazon Review of Peter Fritzche's "Hitler's First Hundred Days"

Into the Heart of Darkness

This dry and academic, yet captivating book by University of Illinois history professor Peter Fritzche takes us on a 100 day trip into the very heart of darkness that would become Nazi Germany. In late morning of January 30, 1933 German president Paul von Hindenburg would meet with former chancellor Joseph von Papen, National People’s Party leader Alfred Hugenberg and National Socialist Party leader Adolf Hitler to name the 43 year old Hitler as chancellor of Germany. Within 100 days Hitler would have absolute power over all of Germany.

Fritzche tells the story through diaries and press accounts of how educated everyday Germans succumbed to Hitler’s siren call. Through persuasion, rhetoric, parades, pageantry, bonfires and the jackbooted thugs of the S.A., democratic Germany yielded to a one party dictatorship. Hitler evoked the unity of August 1914 when Germany, at least on the surface, was united for war and the shame of defeat of November 1918 where the new social democratic government surrendered to the Allied Powers.

Simply put the Nazi message of nationalism trumped the class message of both the socialists and the communists.  And it was that nationalist message that fueled the hatred for the Jews by labeling them outside the German nation. It was during this time that the Dachau concentration camp was established and by April 1^st the government proclaimed a nationwide boycott of Jewish businesses under the slogan “Jews Drop Dead.” It would be a few more short steps toward the holocaust that was to come.

It is not that the Nazi’s were initially super-popular. The Nazi alliance only received 52% of the popular vote in the March election. Nevertheless with full power Hitler intimidated his opponents and those who were not enamored of his regime initially acquiesced and later moved to full support as the economy improved and as they got caught up in the growing nationalist fervor.

Fritzche’s book drives home historian Ian Kershaw’s belief that the Bolshevik Revolution was the defining moment of the 20^th Century because it hardened the Right and divided the Left. The reason that Germany’s reactionary elements backed Hitler was their fear of communism and under Stalin’s orders the German Communist Party refused to align with the socialists. In fact it was a Nazi-Communist alliance that brought down the Center government of Heinrich Bruning in May 1932 setting the stage for Hitler.  Fritzche notes that when Moscow reversed itself and supported popular front alliance the socialists beat back the French Right in both 1934 and again in 1936. If only Stalin had adopted his popular front position in 1932.

Although many readers might find this book rough going, there are many lessons to be learned. Above all we should not take our freedom and liberties for granted. Hitler demonstrated to all who can see that liberal democracy can be a very fragile thing. Cherish it.

As an aside I couldn’t help but noting that Weimar came into being on November 9, 1918, Kristallnacht took place on November 9, 1938 and the Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989. Quite a coincidence.

For the full amazon URL see: https://www.amazon.com/review/R1BUEMXXPALITD/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv