Darkness Falling: The Strange Death of the Weimar Republic, 1930-33

Description

'Gripping and all too timely' James Hawes 'A brilliant mix of detailed research and vivid storytelling' Julia Boyd 'History at its very best - and a fabulous translation, too' Graham Hurley In March 1930, after the collapse of the coalition that had ruled Germany since 1928, President Hindenburg asked Heinrich Bruning, bespectacled and scholarly leader of the Catholic Centre Party, to form a government. Some three years later, in January 1933, Hindenburg appointed as chancellor the demagogic, virulently anti-Semitic leader of the National Socialist party. Within weeks, Adolf Hitler has begun the process of dismantling the flawed democracy of the Weimar Republic and replacing it with a one-party totalitarian state. Darkness Falling depicts in compelling fashion the serial crises and mounting violence of a febrile era. Peter Walther examines the slow death of Weimar through the prism of nine colourful protagonists, including leading German politicians of right, left and centre, the clairvoyant and occultist, Erik Jan Hanussen and the formidable American journalist Dorothy Thompson. He profiles these heterogeneous characters in intriguing detail, pulling together the threads of their lives to chart the demise of German parliamentary democracy and the rise of National Socialist tyranny. Along the way we gain fascinating insights into the machinations in the corridors of power to keep the 'Bohemian corporal' from the chancellorship, and the venality of the Nazi elite and its fellow travellers from the demi-monde of early 1930s Berlin. Walther evokes the louche nightlife of the German capital - 'a playground for charlatans and prophets, madmen and crooks' - memorably and atmospherically. A masterly fusion of meticulously researched historical writing and vividly propulsive storytelling, Darkness Falling is a distinctive and enthralling account of Germany's slide from democracy to dictatorship. Translated by Dr Peter Lewis.

Peter Walther is the author of a bestselling biography of Hans Fallada. He studied German and art history and gained his doctorate in 1995. He has worked as a curator for numerous literary exhibitions and co-founded the Literaturport website with Ulrich Janetzski. He heads the Brandenburg Literary Office in Potsdam with Hendrik Roder.

Gripping both as German history and as a timely warning for us all of how otherwise sane people can fatally overestimate the survivability of democracy, and keep scrabbling for petty advantage even as the darkness gather -- James Hawes, author of The Shortest History of Germany A brilliant mix of detailed research and vivid storytelling, this intriguing account of Germany's terrifying slide from democracy to dictatorship is truly hard to put down -- Julia Boyd, author of Travellers in the Third Reich An astonishing achievement, meticulously researched, beautifully written, full of surprises both terrifying and deeply revelatory. This is history as its very best - and a fabulous translation, too -- Graham Hurley, author of Last Flight to Stalingrad