From the Kaiserhof

$25.00

By Joseph Goebbels. A rare look into the Third Reich—back after 65 years! Joseph Goebbels was born in 1897 and earned his Ph.D. from Heidelberg University in 1921, writing his doctoral thesis on 19th-century romantic drama.

He joined the NSDAP in 1924 and founded the party in Berlin, where, with only 200 supporters, he eventually captured the Communist-supporting city for Hitler.

Of interest here are Goebbels’s diaries from January 1932 to May 1933, which provide a firsthand chronicle of the tumultuous time during which Adolf Hitler propelled himself from his civilian headquarters at the Kaiserhof Hotel into the office of Chancellor of Germany.

Out of stock

Description

From the Kaiserhof to the Reich ChancelleryFrom the Kaiserhof to the Reich Chancellery

By Joseph Goebbels. A rare look into the Third Reich—back after 65 years! Joseph Goebbels was born in 1897 and earned his Ph.D. from Heidelberg University in 1921, writing his doctoral thesis on 19th-century romantic drama. He joined the NSDAP in 1924 and founded the party in Berlin, where, with only 200 supporters, he eventually captured the Communist-supporting city for Hitler. Appointed minister of propaganda, Goebbels played a leading role in the Third Reich and committed suicide in 1945, loyal to Hitler until the end.

Of interest here are Goebbels’s diaries from January 1932 to May 1933, which provide a firsthand chronicle of the tumultuous time during which Adolf Hitler propelled himself from his civilian headquarters at the Kaiserhof Hotel into the office of Chancellor of Germany.

This was true history in the making, as each day’s entry was written as it happened, rather than an overview of the entire process. This allows the reader to experience the events exactly as the author did, never knowing from one day to the next what the following day’s turn of events would be. One day, Goebbels would be sure that the next day would provide the breakthrough in the quest for power; and the next, the failure of the latest event would be apparent. Yet throughout, remarkably, Goebbels remained confident in ultimate victory, even in the face of electoral setbacks, betrayals and state harassment.

In between these dramatic events, Goebbels took the time to jot down his tactics, ideas and propaganda initiatives for posterity, as he must have known that he was living in, and pivotal to, Earth-changing events.

Goebbels had arrived in “red” Berlin and founded the Nazi Party there with a handful of supporters—and within a few years, built it up to be the single largest party in the capital. It was the only real competition for the huge Communist Party power base.

Goebbels also wryly observes human nature at work in this book, pointing out that in his home town, a Communist stronghold, locals threw stones at him just a few months before the ascent to power. Early in 1933, however, those same locals welcomed him back as a hero.

This book was first published by Goebbels in Munich in 1933, only a few months after the Nazi Party had come to power. It was republished in English in 1938 by Hurst and Blackett under the title My Part in Germany’s Fight. Its last German printing was in 1941.

The day-by-day entries provide riveting reading and reveal long-suppressed facts, such as:

* How the Weimar “democracy” forced the Nazis to compete in elections while at the same time banning their newspapers and forbidding them to hold public meetings;

* The campaign of terrorism and murder waged against the NSDAP by the Communists;

* The NSDAP’s funding;

* The clash with the socialist Strasserite wing of the party;

* The political intrigues which eventually forced the establishment to offer the post of chancellor to Hitler after three general elections in one year;

* The burning of the Reichstag;

* The Jewish declaration of war against Germany and the counter-boycott of Jewish shops in Germany, organized by the author;

* Much more.

An essential and fascinating account of the Nazi road to power, this new edition has been completely recreated and includes 18 appendices containing full English translations of a number of articles by the author, taken from his oft-banned newspaper Der Angriff and from speeches made at the time.

Contents:

  • Diary entries January 1, 1932 to May 1, 1933
  • Appendices (not included in original edition):
    • “We Demand, Der Angriff, July 1927
    • “Isidor,” Der Angriff, August 1927
    • “Hail Moscow!,” Der Angriff, November 1927
    • “Why Do We Want to Join the Reichstag?,” Der Angriff, April 1928
    • “And You Really Want to Vote for Me?,” Der Angriff, May 1928
    • “Kütemeyer,” Der Angriff, November 1928
    • “Germans, Buy only from the Jew!,” Der Angriff, December 1928
    • “The Jew,” Der Angriff, January 1929
    • “The Leader,” Der Angriff, April 1929
    • “The Flags Up on High!,” Der Angriff, February 1930
    • “One Hundred and Seven,” Der Angriff, September 1930
    • “Christmas 1931,” Der Angriff, December 1931
    • “We are Voting for Hitler!,” Der Angriff, March 1932
    • “Advice for a Dictator,” Der Angriff, September 1932
    • “Make Way for Young Germany,” speech by Joseph Goebbels, Munich, July 1932
    • “Will and Way: The First Issue of the Central Office for Propaganda,” 1931
    • “Knowledge and Propaganda,” speech by Joseph Goebbels, January 1928
    • “Those Damned Nazis,” leaflet by Joseph Goebbels, 1932.

Softcover, 352 pages, 14 very rare high quality B&W photos