The Third Reich/Storming to Power
Storming to Power is one of twenty-one volumes in the Time-Life Book series The Third Reich. This series portrays the rise and fall of the Third Reich. This volume examines the political and economic events in Germany between Adolf Hitler's release from prison in 1924 and Hitler's seizure of the reins of the German government in 1934 after the death of Paul von Hindenburg.
Hitler's drive for dictatorial authority and his fanatical devotion to his vision are the major themes of this volume. Also, Hitler's non-stop politicking, elimination of dissent, numerous speeches, mass meetings, campaigning, negotiations, and political maneuvering comprise most of the pages of this book. Topics covered include Hitler's release from Landsberg prison; the re-building of the Nazi party; economic hard times in Germany; the arts in Weimar Germany; German opposition to the Young Plan (an adjustment to reparations after World War I); divisions in the Nazi party; the Storm Troopers; the Horst Wessel incident; the German peoples' loss of faith in the ability of the Reichstag to bring relief from the worsening woes of the Depression; the National Socialists' accession to power in 1933; Hitler's appointment to chancellor and the subsequent curtailing of the freedoms of assembly and speech; Dutch communist Marinus van der Lubbe and the Reichstag fire; Nazi seizure of control over the German states, civil service, and labor unions; the outlawing of political parties other than the Nazi party; the reduction of unemployment with public works (such as the autobahn); rearmament; the Night of the Long Knives; the death of Paul von Hindenburg; and the cabinet's approval of a law merging the offices of president and chancellor and the transfer to Hitler the authority of both offices.
As with other books in this series, numerous photographs and illustrations supplement the narrative. I found one photograph especially interesting. It was taken during the 1932 presidential campaign while Hitler was barnstorming across Germany; it shows Hitler studying his itinerary with aid and flying companion, Wilhelm Bruckner. One could say that (from a chronological perspective) this is the second book in this series as it continues the narrative of the emergence of the Nazis and the political and personal life of Adolf Hitler as portrayed in the book The Twisted Dream. In sum, Storming to Power is a succinct description of the political and economic situation in Germany between 1924 and 1934, the methodical process of the Nazis acquiring power, and Hitler's strategy of legal revolution.
