This book review was written by Eugene Kernes
“For the outsiders of the Empire as,
later, for the insiders of the Republic, the most insistent questions revolved
around the need for man’s renewal, questions made most urgent and practically
insoluble by the disappearance of God, the threat of the machine, the incurable
stupidity of the upper classes, and the helpless philistinism of the
bourgeoisie. Seeking answers to their
questions, the rebels turned to whatever help they could find, wherever they
could find it. There was nothing unusual
in this; man’s articulate misery or articulate delight has never been a
respecter of frontiers.” – Peter Gay, Chapter 1: The Trauma of Birth, Page 26
“Historians have made much of the failures of the
politicians who governed the young Republic.
Had they failed utterly, it would have been understandable; Ebert and
his associates faced difficulties that would have daunted the coolest and most
experienced statesman. There was endemic
disorder, there was desperate hunger, there was demoralization among
intellectuals, there was an army to be brough home and demobilized, there were
bitter wounds to be healed and no time to heal them, there was a constitution to
be written and put into practice.” – Peter Gay, Chapter 1: The Trauma of Birth,
Page 32
“The Emperor and his partisans were discredited; leadership would have to come from Socialists. But what kind of Socialists? The Social Democratic party had long been a major party, but even before 1914 it had been a tense coalition, divided among radicals who took revolutionary Marxism seriously, trade unionists who wanted to forget about ideology and seek higher standards of living for the working classes, and functionaries who compromised by talking like revolutionaries and acting like parliamentarians.” – Peter Gay, Appendices, Page 169
Is This An Overview?
The Weimar Republic was born after the end of the German
Empire. The Republic ended when the
National Socialist German Workers’ Party, known as the Nazi’s, took power. The Republic had a short life-span, but
developed influential ideas that shaped the world. The Republic struggled through a myriad of
conflicts, political rifts, economic crises, cultural changes, and political
assassinations.
The end of empire saw the rise of socialism. Various socialist political organizations
were competing for power. Some wanted
Germany to become part of the Soviet Union, some wanted a military
dictatorship, some wanted a parliamentary democracy. The rise of the Republic enabled the ability
to express oneself. Due to prior
repressions, people were initially unsure of how to conduct themselves,
hesitant to share their views.
Intellectuals had a tacit agreement with the state, to limit criticism,
for private freedoms.
As the culture of repression subsided, the creative
diversity had shown itself through inflammatory statements, and outrageous
exhibits. The Republic brought back
cultural engagement with the international community. When the Republic became more stable, there
was backlash, against thinking. Evidence
of the Republic’s success in cultural creativity, is shown by the number of
influential exiles who fled the Nazi regime.
Caveats?
This book can be difficult to read. Various ideas have become influential, but
references to specifics details can be better understood by those who already
have some background information.
