Germany, 18711945 presents an original, lucid and thoughtprovoking history. Its aim is to inspire readers to weigh the historical evidence.At the end of the Second World War, the first unified German state collapsed, a disintegration with European and global ramifications. Ever since, historians have sought to explain what went wrong inGerman history. Many have focused on the violence which forged unification, others have highlightedthe clash of authoritarian, antidemocratic, and antiSemitic traditions with rapid industrialization andmodernization.Germany, 18711945 presents a pragmatic interpretation of German history, from the unification to theend of the Nazi regime. This more open approach acknowledges the strong trend in German societytowards modernization and democratization, particularly before 1914, while also highlighting the factorswhich propelled Germany toward World War I. The rise of the Nazis also demands a close analysis ofthe economic and political instability of the 1920s and early 1930s. Finally, a detailed assessment of the Third Reich explains how the regime's early successes fostered a loyalty and acceptance that remained hard to shake until disaster was obvious and unavoidable.