book report part 2: Hitler, A Study in Tyranny
I found this analysis of Hitler's rise to power timeless, from Hitler: A Study in Tyranny, Abridged Edition, Alan Bullock, Harper Perennial, 1991, originally written in 1962.
Hitler was made chancellor with some self-serving negotiations between the various parties, including the Catholic Centre and the Conservative Right, who both opposed the Communists. They overlooked Hitler's gross faults hoping to maximize the things they saw positively.
Blinded by interest and prejudice, the Right forsook the role of a true conservatism, abandoned its own traditions and made the gross mistake of supposing that in Hitler they had found a man who would enable them to achieve their ends. A large section of the German middle class, powerfully attracted by Hitler’s nationalism, and many of the German Officer Corps followed their lead. (p.139)
It's the danger of all political parties whose need for power becomes more important than the original reason they sought power.
Hitler was made chancellor with some self-serving negotiations between the various parties, including the Catholic Centre and the Conservative Right, who both opposed the Communists. They overlooked Hitler's gross faults hoping to maximize the things they saw positively.
Blinded by interest and prejudice, the Right forsook the role of a true conservatism, abandoned its own traditions and made the gross mistake of supposing that in Hitler they had found a man who would enable them to achieve their ends. A large section of the German middle class, powerfully attracted by Hitler’s nationalism, and many of the German Officer Corps followed their lead. (p.139)
It's the danger of all political parties whose need for power becomes more important than the original reason they sought power.
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