The Heavy Burden of Modern German History

Germany’s cataclysmic twentieth century has spurred heated disputes among historians and social scientists. Was the Nazi regime an anomaly, or was it more deeply rooted in the country’s history and culture? Did Germany follow a “special path,” or did it share crucial features with Europe’s other imperial powers? What made the mass murder of millions of Jews and other minorities possible?In The Heavy Burden of Modern German History, eminent historian Volker Berghahn explores how scholars and intellectuals have sought to make sense of a fraught past. He analyzes the most contentious debates about Germany between 1933 and 1945, such as the depth of German anti-Semitism, the culpability of “ordinary” Germans, and the nature of the Nazi regime. Berghahn examines historians’ accounts of the origins of World War II and the Holocaust, considering Hitler’s war aims and how the trajectory of the conflict culminated in genocide. He discusses the postwar occupation, reconstruction, and division into East and West, showing how this experience shaped present-day Germany and German views of the Nazi past. This book provides vital insight into the importance of historical debate for societies struggling with their pasts—which is all too timely today, as Germany and other countries are on the verge of unlearning the lessons of a catastrophic history.