https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-rise-of-the-nazis/id1537788786?i=1000594543980 + the rest of this series
Annoyingly, I’ve lost my per-episode notes, so this is a collection of general vibes and trends I remember.
Despite only coalescing into a nation-state decades ago, Germany is a dynamo (arguably the intellectual/cultural dynamo) in Europe in the early 20th century. Then, WW1 happens.
- Most Germans think this isn’t their fault.
- Massive casualties for Germany
- Massive costs
- Embarrassing defeat (and because of propaganda + censorship + the early success of the Kaiserschlacht/Ludendorff offensive, most Germans didn’t even know they were losing until too late)
This paints a picture of a German population that is:
- Confused
- Humiliated
- Rapidly impoverished
- ”Middle classes have become pauperized”
- Inured to violence
- Unable to believe that this could happen without some sinister betrayal
- They need a scapegoat
Interesting: The seeping of Darwinism-ish (created term for pseudo-science + Darwinism) into everything starts to subvert the Christian idea that “the meek shall inherit the earth.” There’s a mania over being the fittest nation, the fittest race, etc. This combines with the growing late 19th century move towards hygiene, sanitation, and an emphasis on medicine.
Macro-level causes of the rise of the Nazis
- the Weimar Republic was always tainted for patriotic Germans because of its direct associations with WW1
- all of the negative feelings I discussed because of WW1
- Germany was a militaristic society that was arguably inured to violence
- most of the people in power/the people who should’ve defended Weimar the most don’t really care for it/directly desire its downfall
- Influential conservative and nationalist factions were too confident that they could control and manipulate the Nazis and gave them power in important situations
- A bunch of just lucky events
- Hindenburg letting Hitler become chancellor
- Reichstag fire
Question: How do you deal with a player who is trying to destroy the game?