A Single Communal Faith?: The German Right from Conservatism to National Socialism

Description

How could the Right transform itself from a politics of the nobility to a fatally attractive option for people from all parts of society? How could the Nazis gain a good third of the votes in free elections and remain popular far into their rule? A number of studies from the 1960s have dealt with the issue, in particular the works by George Mosse and Fritz Stern. Their central arguments are still challenging, but a large number of more specific studies allow today for a much more complex argument, which also takes account of changes in our understanding of German history in general. This book shows that between 1800 and 1945 the fundamentalist desire for a single communal faith played a crucial role in the radicalization of Germany's political Right. A nationalist faith could gain wider appeal, because people were searching for a sense of identity and belonging, a mental map for the modern world and metaphysical security. Contents Preface Introduction Notes 1. Prelude: The Weakening of Tradition and the Search for a New Faith in the Early Nineteenth Century Notes 2. From Left to Right: The Emergence of a Right-Wing Nationalist Faith Notes 3. Visions of a Spiritual Unification in the German Empire Notes 4. A Single Communal Faith through War? The First World War as a Watershed Notes 5. Playing with Fire: The Right in the Weimar Republic The Conservative Revolution and the Ideal of a Single Communal Faith Notes 6. Nazism and the Creation of a Communal World-View Nazism and the Idea of a Single Communal Faith Rituals and Visions A Reconciliation of Nature and Technology The Vision of a Harmonious Community of the People The Rhetoric of Heroism and a Grand Reich Notes Conclusion Notes Select Bibliography Index