Frank McDonough

Sophie Scholl was a member of an underground, non-violent protest movement against Hitler's rule in Nazi Germany called the White Rose (die Weie Rose). Based at Munich University and consisting of a philosophy professor and his students, it conducted an anonymous leaflet campaign from 1942 to 1943. Drawing on a fascinating variety of sources, including original documents, Frank McDonough tells the dramatic, absorbing and inspirational story of her brave struggle against the Nazi regime and examines her legacy of heroism in Germany. He is the first person to have full access to her letters, diaries and the transcript of her interrogation by the Gestapo. This important new biography shows that not all Germans blindly followed Hitler's regime, and her refusal to be silent in the face of injustice is a story that deserves to be understood in modern society.

'This accessible history will keep the subject alive for a new generation [..] It is about providing an accessible, sober and vivid resource that keeps the subject alive. In this aim, the book succeeds admirably.' - The Times 'A work of acute solemnity that finds a way to be all the more powerful because of its measured restraint.' - Telegraph 'A tour de force that should serve as a warning to us all'.' - Giles Milton The Hitler Years: Holocaust is the fourth volume in Frank McDonough's brilliantly reviewed and bestselling history of Germany from 1918 to 1945. The penultimate title in the Hitler's Germany series, this book marks the end of the Second World War and the Nazi regime. It provides detailed year-by-year analysis of a horrific period of Nazi doctrine, and places into context the events that followed the Nazi Party’s rise to power in 1933 and beyond. McDonough skilfully guides readers through the development of early persecution in the 1920s, foreshadowing what was to come once the Nazi Party took power in 1933. He explores the impact of the 1933 Nuremberg Laws, the implementation of pre-war intimidation policies, and the influence of the secret Wannsee Conference on the execution of the ‘Final Solution’. A meticulous chronicle of the experiences and testimonies of survivors, this book demonstrates how violence against the Jewish population migrated from the beerhall to state bureaucracy. This fully illustrated volume draws together and engages with the latest scholarly research, and makes extensive use of primary sources, presenting a vivid and shocking narrative. A tragic and deadly period in German and European history is brought to life by one of the country’s premier scholars.

Bestselling historian Frank McDonough tackles the subject in the same way as his brilliantly reviewed and bestselling titles in this series. The penultimate title in the Hitler's Germany series, the book marks the end of the Second World War, and the end of the Nazi regime, offering the reader a sweeping narrative tackling the major characters, significant events of this horrific period of Nazi doctrine formed in their early years of the 1920s, that would evolve into full-blown genocide of a race of people by the end of World War Two.The Hitler Years: Holocaust 1933–1945 describes in detail the development of early persecution formulated by Adolf Hitler from as far back as the early 1920s, placing in context what was to come once the Nazi Party gained power in 1933; the Nuremberg Laws to constrain the German-Jewish population. It covers the country’s slow slide into a pre-war policy of intimidation that would culminate in the murderous attacks on ‘Kristallnacht’ (the ‘Night of Broken Glass’). As Europe marched into another global conflict in 1939, tens of thousands of German Jews had fled the country only to be swept up as Hitler’s armies conquered all Western Europe. With the invasion of the Soviet Union, the secret meeting in early 1942 (the Wannsee Conference) would utilise the war in the east to plan in intricate detail the annihilation of the Jewish population on the continent – known to all now as the ‘Final Solution’.The fully illustrated book draws together and engages with the latest scholarly research, makes extensive use of primary research, presenting a vivid and shocking narrative. A tragic and deadly period in German and European history is brought to life by one of the country’s premier scholars.

A DAILY MAIL BOOK OF THE WEEKA SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEARA DAILY TELEGRAPH BEST HISTORY BOOK OF 2023ASPECTS OF HISTORY BOOKS OF THE YEARA GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023A DAILY MAIL BEST CHRISTMAS BOOK OF 2023The prequel to Frank McDonough’s bestselling Hitler Years series, covering the dramatic era of German history that culminated in the rise to power of Adolf Hitler in 1933.Established in the wake of German defeat in the First World War, the Weimar Republic held out the hope that democracy, stability and prosperity would take root in Germany. From the start, however, it was beset by political and economic upheaval and spasms of violence between left and right. Year by year, from 1918 to 1933, Frank McDonough describes the major events in both domestic and foreign policy and the personalities who shaped them, together with developments in Weimar’s flourishing cultural sphere. McDonough places particular focus on the parliamentary history of Weimar, arguing that it was the failure of parliamentary democracy to bring stability that allowed the power of the elected Reichstag to diminish, leading to Hitler’s accession to power.The Weimar Years is the tragic story of a rise and fall, as well as a warning of how, under poor leadership, economic pressure and unrelenting political instability, a democracy can drift towards a form of authoritarian rule that eventually destroys it.

Gestapo var Hitlers hemliga polis och en viktig del i nazisternas förtryck av den egna befolkningen. Samtidigt var det en underdimensionerad organisation som saknade de nödvändiga resurserna att fullt ut kunna spionera på sina medborgare. Till stor del förlitade man sig på tips från allmänheten. Tortyr förekom men var relativt ovanligt, och de allra flesta utredningar lades snabbt ner. Dessa är några av många helt nya perspektiv och uppgifter som framkommer i denna banbrytande skildring. Frank McDonough har skrivit en bok som ifrågasätter och reder ut flera gamla myter om Gestapo. Med utgångspunkt från tidigare opublicerat arkivmaterial får vi ta del av ett stort antal människoöden - vanliga och ovanliga tyskar som vågade utmana nazisternas skräckvälde. Gestapo - Sanning och myt om Tredje rikets hemliga polis ger oss värdefulla inblickar i vardagslivet i Nazi-Tyskland. Vi får också ta del av starka vittnesmål från regimens offer. FRANK MCDONOUGH är universitetsprofessor och har skrivit en lång rad böcker om nazismens historia. Gestapo - Sanning och myt om Tredje rikets hemliga polis har översatts till många olika språk."skrämmande och fängslande läsning." THE TIMES "Modig - en upplysande skildring"DAILY TELEGRAPH "Frank McDonoughs bok är både upplysande och till viss del avslöjande" JOHAN CRONEMAN, DAGENS NYHETER "En välunderbyggd bok som reder ut många missförstånd." KIRKUS

A DAILY MAIL BOOK OF THE WEEK A SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEAR A DAILY TELEGRAPH BEST HISTORY BOOK OF 2023 ASPECTS OF HISTORY BOOKS OF THE YEAR A GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 A DAILY MAIL BEST CHRISTMAS BOOK OF 2023 Established in 1918–19, in the wake of Germany’s catastrophic defeat in the First World War and the revolution that followed swiftly on its heels, the Weimar Republic ushered in widespread social reform, a radical cultural flowering and the most democratic conditions the German people had ever known. At its beginning, Weimar held out the hope that democracy, stability and prosperity would take root in Germany, but it was beset by frequent changes of government, waves of economic upheaval and spasms of violence of increasing intensity between the forces of left and right. Agitation and assassination by rightwing nationalists – enraged by the severity of the Treaty of Versailles and the acceptance of its terms by liberal German politicians – formed a threatening descant to the conciliatory efforts of successive coalition governments. Ultimately, the instabilities of Weimar would lead to the appointment as German Chancellor of the Nazi Fu¨hrer Adolf Hitler, who created a one-party dictatorship that abandoned the rule of law, democracy and civil rights. In the words of Gustav Stresemann, Germany’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning Foreign Minister from 1923 to 1929, Weimar democracy was ‘dancing on a volcano’. The Weimar Years is a vivid and compelling narrative of a dramatic period in German history. Year by year, from 1918 to 1933, Frank McDonough covers the major events in both domestic and foreign policy and the personalities who shaped them, together with developments in music, art, theatre and literature. McDonough places particular focus on the parliamentary history of Weimar, arguing that it was the failure of parliamentary democracy to bring stability that eroded public confidence and allowed the power of the elected Reichstag to gradually diminish, culminating in Hitler’s accession to power in January 1933. The Weimar Years is the tragic story of a rise and fall, as well as a warning of how, under poor leadership, economic pressure and unrelenting political volatility, a democracy can drift towards a form of authoritarian rule that eventually destroys it.

The Second Volume of a new chronicle of the Third Reich under Hitler's hand, ending with his death and Germany's disastrous defeat. In The Hitler Years: Disaster 1940-1945, Frank McDonough completes his brilliant two-volume history of Germany under Hitler's Third Reich. At the beginning of 1940, Germany was at the pinnacle of its power. By May 1945, Hitler was dead and Germany had suffered a disastrous defeat. Hitler had failed to achieve his aim of making Germany a super power and had left her people to cope with the endless shame of the Holocaust. Despite Hitler's grand ambitions and the successful early stages of the Third Reich's advances into Europe, Frank McDonough convincingly argues that Germany was only ever a middle-ranking power and never truly stood a chance against the combined forces of the Allies. In this second volume of The Hitler Years, Professor Frank McDonough charts the dramatic change of fortune for the Third Reich and Germany's ultimate defeat.

The second volume of a new narrative history of the rise and fall of the Nazi regime, by an expert on the Third Reich. 'This book is like a time machine because McDonough writes so vividly' History of War 'McDonough writes clearly and readably with just enough detail on the huge canvas that he covers' Spectator 'A book of big themes, big ideas and world changing events […] a masterpiece' History of War MagazineAt the beginning of 1940 Germany was at the pinnacle of its power. By May 1945 Hitler was dead and Germany had suffered a disastrous defeat. Hitler had failed to achieve his aim of making Germany a super power and had left her people to cope with the endless shame of the Holocaust.In The Hitler Years: Disaster 1940-1945, Professor Frank McDonough charts the dramatic change of fortune for the Third Reich, and challenges long-held accounts of the Holocaust and Germany's ultimate defeat.Despite Hitler's grand ambitions and the successful early stages of the Third Reich's advances into Europe, Frank McDonough argues that Germany was only ever a middle-ranking power and never truly stood a chance against the combined forces of the Allies.

From historian Frank McDonough, the first volume of a new chronicle of the Third Reich under Hitler's hand. On January 30th, 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed the German Chancellor of a coalition government by President Hindenburg. Within a few months he had installed a dictatorship, jailing and killing his leftwing opponents, terrorizing the rest of the population and driving Jews out of public life. He embarked on a crash program of militaristic Keynesianism, reviving the economy and achieving full employment through massive public works, vast armaments spending and the cancellations of foreign debts. After the grim years of the Great Depression, Germany seemed to have been reborn as a brutal and determined European power. Over the course of the years from 1933 to 1939, Hitler won over most of the population to his vision of a renewed Reich. In these years of domestic triumph, cunning maneuvers, pitting neighboring powers against each other and biding his time, we see Hitler preparing for the moment that would realize his ambition. But what drove Hitler's success was also to be the fatal flaw of his regime: a relentless belief in war as the motor of greatness, a dream of vast conquests in Eastern Europe and an astonishingly fanatical racism.

The first volume of a new narrative history of the rise and fall of the Nazi regime, by an expert on the Third Reich. 'One of the books of the year' Dan Snow 'A masterclass in the history of Nazi Germany' Get History 'What makes this volume really stand out is its stylish design and more than 80 coloured photographs' Military HistoryOn 30 January 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed the German Chancellor of a coalition government by President Hindenburg. Within a few months he had installed a dictatorship, jailing and killing his leftwing opponents, terrorising the rest of the population and driving Jews out of public life. He embarked on a crash programme on militaristic Keynesianism, reviving the economy and achieving full employment through massive public works, vast armaments spending and the cancellations of foreign debts. After the grim years of the Great Depression, Germany seemed to have been reborn as a brutal and determined European power.Over the course of the years from 1933 to 1939, Hitler won over most of the population to his vision of a renewed Reich. In these years of domestic triumph, cunning manoeuvres, pitting neighbouring powers against each other and biding his time, we see Hitler preparing for the moment that would realise his ambition. But what drove Hitler's success was also to be the fatal flaw of his regime: a relentless belief in war as the motor of greatness, a dream of vast conquests in Eastern Europe and an astonishingly fanatical racism.In The Hitler Years, Frank McDonough charts the rise and fall of the Third Reich under Hitler's hand. The first volume, Triumph, ends after Germany's comprehensive military defeat of Poland in 1939.

Now fully revised and reformatted, Hitler and the Rise of the Nazi Party is an indispensible guide to the history of the Nazi party between its initial electoral breakthrough in 1930 and its victory in 1933. Arguing that the Nazis owed their success as much to Hitler‘s charismatic leadership and their own effective propaganda and organisation as to the weakness of the Weimar regime, Frank McDonough provides an original perspective on the subject as well as a concise, readable introduction to key events and debates. This new edition includes: A new introduction on the broad context of Weimar Germany Two new chapters on the reasons for the Nazi breakthrough in 1930 and on the crucial 1930-1933 period New clearer student-friendly format Supported by an expanded documents section and fully revised bibliography, a chronology of key events and a who‘s who of leading figures, Hitler and the Rise of the Nazi Party will provide an invaluable introduction for any student of this fascinating period.

Name as a 2016 Book of the Year by the SpectatorA Daily Telegraph 'Book of the Week' (August 2015)Longlisted for 2016 PEN Hessell-Tiltman PrizeRanked in 100 Best Books of 2015 in the Daily TelegraphProfessor Frank McDonough is one of the leading scholars and most popular writers on the history of Nazi Germany. Frank McDonough's work has been described as, 'modern history writing at its very best...Ground-breaking, fascinating, occasionally deeply revisionist' by renowned historian Andrew Roberts. Drawing on a detailed examination of previously unpublished Gestapo case files this book relates the fascinating, vivid and disturbing accounts of a cross-section of ordinary and extraordinary people who opposed the Nazi regime. It also tells the equally disturbing stories of their friends, neighbours, colleagues and even relatives who were often drawn into the Gestapo's web of intrigue. The book reveals, too, the cold-blooded and efficient methods of the Gestapo officers. This book will also show that the Gestapo lacked the manpower and resources to spy on everyone as it was reliant on tip offs from the general public. Yet this did not mean the Gestapo was a weak or inefficient instrument of Nazi terror. On the contrary, it ruthlessly and efficiently targeted its officers against clearly defined political and racial 'enemies of the people'. The Gestapo will provide a chilling new doorway into the everyday life of the Third Reich and give powerful testimony from the victims of Nazi terror and poignant life stories of those who opposed Hitler's regime while challenging popular myths about the Gestapo.

"Frank McDonough has been on both sides of the table; he has been there and done that." -Tom Rolston, Former IBM executive and author of two books, Fifty Years before Crack, and Faith or Duty?The White House has approved Brian's selection for a high-level job in the government. After the initial excitement, he realizes there is a lot he does not know. He tells a friend, I need a mentor, someone who has been through what I am going to experience.Spring Training for the Major Leagues of Government with its 44 chapters containing examples, statistics, and anecdotes, is a mentor for high-level officials carrying titles like Deputy Assistant Secretary, Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Attorney General, and Inspector General, Director.In addition, Spring Training for the Major Leagues of Government has insights for industry officials working on or seeking contracts with government. Citizens and graduate students, too, will observe and learn from the insights in Spring Training.Many have said as they left their high-level job, I wish I knew what I know now when I sat down at my desk on my first day on the job. Spring Training for the Major Leagues of Government gives new appointees to high-level jobs the insights to be successful from their first day on the job.

"Frank McDonough has been on both sides of the table; he has been there and done that." -Tom Rolston, Former IBM executive and author of two books, Fifty Years before Crack, and Faith or Duty?The White House has approved Brian's selection for a high-level job in the government. After the initial excitement, he realizes there is a lot he does not know. He tells a friend, I need a mentor, someone who has been through what I am going to experience.Spring Training for the Major Leagues of Government with its 44 chapters containing examples, statistics, and anecdotes, is a mentor for high-level officials carrying titles like Deputy Assistant Secretary, Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Attorney General, and Inspector General, Director.In addition, Spring Training for the Major Leagues of Government has insights for industry officials working on or seeking contracts with government. Citizens and graduate students, too, will observe and learn from the insights in Spring Training.Many have said as they left their high-level job, I wish I knew what I know now when I sat down at my desk on my first day on the job. Spring Training for the Major Leagues of Government gives new appointees to high-level jobs the insights to be successful from their first day on the job.

Now fully revised and reformatted, Hitler and the Rise of the Nazi Party is an indispensible guide to the history of the Nazi party between its initial electoral breakthrough in 1930 and its victory in 1933. Arguing that the Nazis owed their success as much to Hitler’s charismatic leadership and their own effective propaganda and organisation as to the weakness of the Weimar regime, Frank McDonough provides an original perspective on the subject as well as a concise, readable introduction to key events and debates. This new edition includes: A new introduction on the broad context of Weimar Germany Two new chapters on the reasons for the Nazi breakthrough in 1930 and on the crucial 1930-1933 period New clearer student-friendly format Supported by an expanded documents section and fully revised bibliography, a chronology of key events and a who’s who of leading figures, Hitler and the Rise of the Nazi Party will provide an invaluable introduction for any student of this fascinating period.

The book examines the central roles played by Hitler and Chamberlain in the events which led to the outbreak of the Second World War. It focuses on Anglo-German relations from 1918 to 1939, with particular attention paid to the key events from 1937 to 1939, when Hitler pursued an aggressive foreign policy, while Chamberlain strove to satisfy the 'legitimate' demands made by Hitler in the hope this would prevent war. The book includes an analysis of the changing nature of the debate on the roles of Hitler and Chamberlain in the origins of the Second World War. Hitler, Chamberlain and Appeasement is illustrated and includes primary sources.

An engaging range of period texts and theme books for AS and A Level history. In this innovative new study, Frank McDonough provides a clear account of opposition and resistance towards the Nazi regime from 1933 to 1945 and presents the historical debate surrounding this important aspect of the history of Nazi Germany. The book concentrates on the individuals and groups that resisted and opposed Nazi rule, including the Christian churches, industrial workers, youth groups and sections of the army, whose resistance culminated in the assassination attempt against Hitler in July 1944.

Frank McDonough offers a stimulating assessment of the causes and impact of the momentous events which shaped Europe during the first half of the twentieth century. The issues and themes examined include: why there were two revolutions in Russia in 1917; to what extent Germany was guilty of causing the Second World War; Mussolini and the development of fascism in Italy; the extent of Nazi popularity in Germany; the impact of Nazism on German society and the economy. Conflict, Communism and Fascism is part of the Cambridge Perspectives in History series. The book matches the requirements of the OCR examination specifications. It is suitable for all Advanced Subsidiary (AS) students, as well as students and undergraduates needing an introduction to the period. It also contains a document section on Nazi Germany.

Frank McDonough provides an authoritative, balanced and up-to-date study of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. His text offers a refreshing perspective on the period, by shifting the central focus away from Hitler the man onto his role in the broad socio-economic, political and cultural developments of the period. Among the developments and issues explored are the relationship between the Nazi state and the economy, the impact of the Nazi regime on German society and culture, Nazi foreign policy and Hitler’s role in the Holocaust. Hitler and Nazi Germany contains a range of primary sources with questions.

Re-examines the controversial policy of appeasement. The text suggests that the mood of the age in British society served to support appeasement, by analyzing the cluster of military, strategic, imperial and economic forces which served to justify it. The book argues that, when Neville Chamberlain came to power, appeasement was part of a broad consensus in British society to avoid a second world war. It provides an interpretation of Chamberlain's conduct by showing how he used and abused the mood of the age to justify a selfish and ambitious policy which was idealogically prejudiced. Yet, when Hitler entered Prague in March 1939, the public mood changed, and Chamberlain found himself a prisoner of a new mood which forced him to make a tactical and half-hearted attempt to stand up to Hitler for which he had no enthusiasm.