Dictatorships in German History: New Perspectives on an Old Problem

Dictatorships have been a defining feature of modern German history. The Nazi dictatorship between 1933 and 1945, which brought about the Second World War and the Holocaust, is still taught in schools and universities as the prime example of the destructiveness of ideologically driven regimes in the 20th century; the state-socialist regime in the German Democratic Republic that lasted for over 40 years bore many of the same dictatorial features. Yet, authoritarian mindsets and practices also featured in the politics of the imperial period after 1871. Even in the democratic Weimar Republic and the Federal Republic after 1945, authoritarianism continued to pose a challenge.

In this talk, which is jointly hosted by the Tyneside Branch of the Historical Association and Newcastle City Library, Dr André Keil (Senior Lecturer in Modern European History at Liverpool John Moores University) will discuss his on this issue and will offer some broader perspectives on how modern societies should confront the "allure of authoritarianism".