Weimar Germany was dynamic. The aborted nation, whose life spanned just 14 years, is best described by Eric Weitz’ seminal subtitle, “promise and tragedy.” Political life was contentious, economic activity was volatile and Weimar culture reflected both these elements. While freikorps fighters and communist paramilitaries collided in the streets, their ideological representatives fiercely debated the future of the nation. Political parties armed themselves with the radio and camera, as sound and image amplified the political dissonance between left and right. As the discord became palpable throughout the country, a series of economic challenges served to raise the volume. Destabilizing the monetary foundation of the society, hyperinflation in
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In 2017, Timothy Snyder published a pamphlet titled On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century. While not directly drawing a direct historical analogy between the rise of Nazism in Germany and the Trump moment in American politics, the Yale historian alluded to disconcerting similarities between the two historical periods. Offering advice to aspiring anti-fascists, Snyder implored readers to “defend institutions,” as to not repeat one of the crucial “mistakes” that led Weimar down the road to tyranny. According to Snyder, in the waning years of Weimar, many Germans mistakenly believed that their democratic institutions would withstand an onslaught from rising authoritarian actors and, in turn, failed to defend these institutions. Citing an editorial from Der Israelit, Snyder argues that German citizens believed Hitler could not enact his proposed policies “because a number of crucial factors held power in check.” However, Snyder’s insistence that an abundance of “mislaid trust” in Weimar institutions was to blame for the collapse of the republic, is reductionist at best. In fact, when examining the longitudinal history of Weimar, it becomes clear that it was pervasive disbelief in democracy that drove the collapse of the
In 2017, Timothy Snyder published a pamphlet titled On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century. While not directly drawing a direct historical analogy between the rise of Nazism in Germany and the Trump moment in American politics, the Yale historian alluded to disconcerting similarities between the two historical periods. Offering advice to aspiring anti-fascists, Snyder implored readers to “defend institutions,” as to not repeat one of the crucial “mistakes” that led Weimar down the road to tyranny. According to Snyder, in the waning years of Weimar, many Germans mistakenly believed that their democratic institutions would withstand an onslaught from rising authoritarian actors and, in turn, failed to defend these institutions. Citing an editorial from Der Israelit, Snyder argues that German citizens believed Hitler could not enact his proposed policies “because a number of crucial factors held power in check.” However, Snyder’s insistence that an abundance of “mislaid trust” in Weimar institutions was to blame for the collapse of the republic, is reductionist at best. In fact, when examining the longitudinal history of Weimar, it becomes clear that it was pervasive disbelief in democracy that drove the collapse of the