Hitler's Compromises
Coercion and Consensus in Nazi Germany

Excellent book that shows you the intricate ways Hitler's intellect worked. At times it seems he could change his mind when he thought open aggressive methods would not work as well as persuasion... although persuasion does not imply honesty.......more

This book reads like a dissertation and was a struggle to get through. Published by Yale I was expecting an academic book but not one written in a style so stilted that I looked for the translator’s name - there isn’t one. Helpfully there’s a concluding chapter which condenses everything gone before......more

Stoltzfus argues that Hitler frequently compromised with popular opinion in Germany (never with enemies) in an effort to gradually convert the German people to National Socialist values. In the cases of the euthanasia program, religious schools, and evacuation of children from cities, the regime bac......more

A fascinating look about how Nazism was implemented on the ground in Germany. The old view of a top down imposition is only half accurate, since ideas of national greatness and cohesion had broad support and people were willing to work with the regime. Hitler also adjusted the implementation of some......more

Interesting but not riveting, I respect the authors intervention into how the coercion Nazi state is taught but didn't find much of this to be terribly ground breaking. The conflicts with the church, parents and the euthanasia question are all compelling examples of how the autocracy was sold to the......more