The Death of Democracy

My favorite history books foreground institutions and the incentives & constraints they generate. Hett does this with aplomb. Though the title might imply an expansiveness of scope—or, in the worst case, unedifying bloviation that confuses hindsight for insight—the book offers a succinct account of the balance of power dynamics that emerged between the Weimar Republic's political blocs. It situates Hitler's rise in the decisions taken by right-wing politicians and military-industrial elites, who showed no compunction about gutting democracy and bringing the far right into government if it meant sidelining the left entirely. And it offers a case study in the dangerous seductions offered by the politics of xenophobic and revanchist fantasy—a theme that, unfortunately, grows more resonant by the day.

An excellent and very readable introduction to the topic. Showcases the continued relevance of the Nazi rise to power today without straying into political rhetoric where unwarranted.