The Fragile Threads of Peace and Democracy

Reflecting on Germany's descent into fascism

Reich President von Hindenburg and Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler on the Day of Potsdam (March 21, 1933) (source: see notes)

The decline of Fascism in Germany seemed evident in November 1929 when the Nazis lost 84 of their 280 seats in parliament. Yet, in the volatile landscape of German politics and society at the time, it took just two months until Hitler was asked to form a government.

When chaos reigns, fascism thrives. By creating disorder and employing violence, fascists bolster their chances of seizing control while promising to restore order. It's reminiscent of the mafia demanding protection money from shop owners.

1933 began favorably for Hitler. The business community had settled the party's debts accumulated from relentless campaigning. Despite President von Hindenburg's reluctance to work with the "little corporal, tramp, and failed artist," he succumbed to the immense pressure from various quarters. He invited Hitler to form a government, believing the risks were minimal since Hitler required coalition support from conservatives and Catholics.

However, within weeks, the Reichstag fire enabled Hitler to secure two-thirds parliamentary support for an Enabling Act, granting him extraordinary powers to "restore order." He ruled by decree, swiftly sidelining all political opponents, and, by summer, outlawed all political parties except his party, the NSDAP.

German democracy was not robust enough to withstand the assault by a non-democratic party that sought to abolish it from within. Few, particularly outside Germany, foresaw the catastrophic consequences of these initial months in 1933. Twelve years later, World War II had claimed 40 to 50 million lives.

Who could have foreseen that Germany, the land of Beethoven and Goethe, would abandon its democracy for a dictatorship led by a man with dubious qualifications, resulting in the deaths of millions? Entrusting democracy to a convicted felon of questionable reputation was then—and remains—a risky choice for anyone valuing integrity, humanity, law, democracy, women and minority rights, and our future.

Failure of fascism

A mere 12 years of Hitler's promised 1,000-year Reich proved to be a damning testament to the failure of the concept of fascism—a lesson not to be repeated for at least the next millennium.

Growing up, I saw that all those who had endured the horrors of WWII had no appetite for a resurgence of right-wing populism. Yet, with the passing of that generation, some seize the opportunity to resurrect the failed methods of the past, preying on those ignorant of history's lessons.

Who in America recalls the America First Committee, a non-interventionist group that opposed American involvement in WWII? It promoted American nationalism and unilateralism, tainted by anti-Semitic and fascist rhetoric. With 800,000 members in a population of 130 million, it popularized the slogan "America First," while Nazi Germany sought to influence American politics with pro-Hitler and anti-Semitic propaganda.

After fascism's collapse or a failed flirtation with it, few admit to having supported the ideology. Denial soon dominates after the myth disintegrates and the once-revered leader falls.

Sarajevo, 1914

Today, it is precisely 110 years since Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated in Sarajevo. In my train of thought, allow me to take you one world war further back into history. The murder sparked a rapidly escalating chain of events that led to a war across Europe. Four years later, some 16 million people had lost their lives. Among the many complex factors that led to this war were the nationalistic sentiments that fueled tensions among European nations. 

Reserve a modest dose of nationalism when cheering for your country's athletes at the Olympic Games, but try to see world politics through an international lens where you weigh in the other countries' interests. Your country shouldn't go first; others will give it the interpretation that you want them to come second. International relations seek win-win outcomes since a win for one doesn't have to mean a loss for the other. "Peace First" might be a better relaying cry, or "Democracy First" (and - looking at recent developments - I may write someday about "Education First").

In 1990, a year after the collapse of another failed ideology that led to the death of tens of millions, I visited a small open-air prison cell in the cold winter of what was still Czechoslovakia. It had been the cell of the young Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip, the murderer of the Archduke, who set off events that led to the First World War. He was not the reason for my visit to Terezín Fortress, and I must admit I was surprised to be confronted with WWI history; I was there to visit the WWII Theresienstadt concentration camp. Knowing more about our history improves our chances of not repeating past mistakes. 

Maintaining peace and prosperity demands decades of carefully building an international system of rules, values, trust, trade, dependencies, alliances, diplomacy, stable politics, and more. It's not spectacular, and the media rarely report another day of stability, preferring dramatic stories of conflict.

Gradually and then suddenly

However, the stability of national institutions and international relations has its limits. As Hemingway would write, it may break "In two ways: gradually and then suddenly."

These words are applicable at the onset of WWI, after a century of relatively peaceful international relations in post-Napoleonic Europe. Since the early 20th century, tensions among European powers had been simmering due to militarism, imperialism, nationalism, and complex alliances. Then, suddenly, 110 years ago today, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand sparked the war. (Even that trigger was gradual, unfolding in the slow summer of 1914, and then suddenly, but that's a story for another day.)

It was also true for WWII. It began gradually, in the aftermath of WWI, with the harsh conditions of the Treaty of Versailles contributing to Germany's political and economic instability. Then, Hitler's increasingly aggressive actions culminated in the sudden clarity of war with Poland's invasion in 1939.

In both cases, events unfolded gradually over time, but the outbreak of war occurred suddenly, altering the course of history. It is far easier to explain in hindsight what went wrong at what point in history than to translate that knowledge into predictions for our future.

Yet, if you recognize the failings of historical leaders in the behavior of present-day leaders, it's better to gradually raise awareness because if you suddenly become alarmed, it likely means it's too late. 

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Notes:

Photo: Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-S38324 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/de/deed.en>, via Wikimedia Commons

On America First: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_First_(policy)