What to Do With Germany
by Louis Nizer
Our Price: $4.03
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Louis NizerEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1944
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 170
Publisher: Ziff-Davis Publishing Company
Book Reviews of What to Do With Germany
Book Review: Diagnosing the Causes of German Aggression
Summary: 4 Stars
Written during the closing stages of WWII, this book gives a snapshot of views that were current at that time in history. Nizer attempts to explain how Germany had sunk to such levels of barbarity. He repudiates the notion that Germans are innately warlike (p. 6), and rejects some draconian solutions proposed at the time (e. g., the mass sterilizations of Germans). At the same time, Nizer refutes common German contentions about the Versailles provisions having been harsh (p. 15), of post WWI reparations being oppressive (pp. 132-133), and of interwar inflation being severe (p. 133). He also rejects any substantial parallel between Nazi actions and that of British colonizers or American's treatment of native peoples (p. 26)
Nizer comments on the anti-Christian character of Nazism: "There is much to be undone. The slogan of the German Faith Movement was `The cross must fall if Germany is to live.' The youth have been reared on Hitler's instruction that `conscience is a Jewish invention. It is a blemish like circumcision' and Alfred Rosenberg's `Either Christian or German! There is no "Aryan Christ" and no Christian German. They are incompatible.'" (p. 172)
Nizer sees barbarism and militarism as learned behaviors. He uncovers proto-Nazi ideation in a long line of respected German thinkers: "Hegel...propounded the theory that humanity had finally come to manhood in the Germanic race...Heinrich von Treitschke...interpreted Germanism as anti-Christianity. He brazenly taught the doctrine of `might makes right'. He enthralled the German people with his theory of the German super-state, which would rule the universe." (pp. 30-31)...Count Moltke...Nietzsche... (pp. 152-153).
Proto-Nazism was also a feature of previous German political leaders: "Fuehrers to express German war lust were never lacking: Frederick Wilhelm...Frederick the Great...Among his depredations was the ravaging and partitioning of Poland in concert with another Prussian, Catherine the Great of Russia." (p. 25)
In order to resolve the apparent paradox of the coexistence of advanced German culture with primal German barbarity, Nizer cites Goethe: "I have often felt a bitter pang at the thought of the German people so estimable as individuals and so wretched in the whole." (p. 53)
Subjects Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Subjects Books
That Hideous Strengthby C S Lewis
Voyager; Published: 2005-12-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.01
Girl With a Pearl Earringby Tracy Chevalier
Harper Collins Audio; Published: 2002-06-17; Audio Cassette; Book
Best price: $34.99
Illustrated Man (Voyager Classics)by Ray Bradbury
Voyager; Published: 2002-08-19; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.81
Magician's Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia S.)by C S Lewis
Harper Collins Childrens H/B; Published: 2003-10-06; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $25.99
1960s Series American Dreamby Norman Mailer
Flamingo; Published: 2001-04-17; Paperback; Book
Best price: $16.99
Jonathan Livingston Seagullby Richard Bach
Harpercollins Publishers; Published: 1994-08-22; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.85
Man Lay Deadby Ngaio Marsh
Harper Collins Pb; Published: 2000-12-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $107.58
Rhythm Sectionby Mark Burnell
Harper Collins Pod; Published: 2000-06-19; Paperback; Book
Best price: $33.86
I Am Mary Dunneby Brian Moore
Flamingo; Published: 1995; Paperback; Book
Best price: $79.95