Description
Book SynopsisThe diaries of Robert W. Heingartner, a US consular official posted to Frankfurt am Main, provide an account of the rise of Nazism in that city from 1928 to the end of 1937, when the regime appeared to have stabilized itself, written by a close and careful observer. Heingartner describes the impact of the Depression on the life of the city, and closely monitors the political crises that accompanied the rise of the Nazi party from a fringe radical group to becoming the ruling party in 1933. He documents the establishment of Nazi rule in Frankfurt from 1933 on, including economic and social conditions, and the persecution of political opponents and Frankfurt’s Jewish population, with whose plight he was confronted as a consular official. He also relates the response to the regime on the part of ordinary Germans whose lives were characterized by shortages, rumours, grumbling and denunciations.
Trade Review«The book is a highly readable, evocative and gripping account and its greatest strength lies not only in its forceful and detailed observations of political, economic and social conditions, but also of the life of ordinary Germans struggling with the lack of freedom and scarcity of food. Bonnell is an informed guide, providing measured comment through useful footnotes and should be congratulated on a valuable and engaging contribution to this chapter in European history.» (Luisa Morettin, Australian Journal of Politcs and History 58, 2012/3)
Table of ContentsContents: Edited and annotated diary of the US consular official Robert W. Heingartner – Germany: Depression, economic and social conditions – Weimar Republic: decline and political crises, 1928-1933 – Nazi takeover as witnessed in Frankfurt am Main, 1933 – Consolidation of Nazi regime, 1933-1937: economic and social conditions – Everyday life in Nazi Germany – Situation of Jews in «Third Reich» – German-US diplomatic and trade relations, 1928-1937.
