Hitler boasted that The Third Reich would last a thousand years. It lasted only 12. But those 12 years contained some of the most catastrophic events Western civilization has ever known. In The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, William L. Shirer gave us the definitive book on Hitler's German Empire. Based on his personal experiences as a war correspondent as well as the voluminous documents that came out of Germany after the war, this thrilling account of Hitler's reign is widely acclaimed to be one of the greatest historical works of our time. Now available as an exclusive anniversary edition, this volume is as compelling as ever. Everything about the period is explained to the fullest, beginning with Hitler's rise to power, the Nazification of Germany and the march to war. The accounts of how the United States got involved and how Hitler used Mussolini and Japan are astonishing, and the coverage of the war-from Germany's early successes to her eventual defeat-is must reading
Chapter 1. BIRTH OF THE THIRD REICH
THE EARLY LIFE OF ADOLF HITLER
“THE SADDEST PERIOD OF MY LIFE”
THE BUDDING IDEAS OF ADOLF HITLER
Chapter 2. BIRTH OF THE NAZI PARTY
THE BEGINNING OF THE NAZI PARTY
Chapter 3. VERSAILLES, WEIMAR AND THE BEER HALL PUTSCH
Chapter 4. THE MIND OF HITLER AND THE ROOTS OF THE THIRD REICH
THE HISTORICAL ROOTS OF THE THIRD REICH
THE INTELLECTUAL ROOTS OF THE THIRD REICH
THE STRANGE LIFE AND WORKS OF H. S. CHAMBERLAIN
Chapter 5. THE ROAD TO POWER: 1925–31
THE EMERGENCE OF PAUL JOSEPH GOEBBELS
AN INTERLUDE OF REST AND ROMANCE FOR ADOLF HITLER
THE OPPORTUNITIES OF THE DEPRESSION
Chapter 6. THE LAST DAYS OF THE REPUBLIC: 1931–33
SCHLEICHER: THE LAST CHANCELLOR OF THE REPUBLIC
Chapter 7. THE NAZIFICATION OF GERMANY: 1933–34
GLEICHSCHALTUNG: THE “CO-ORDINATION” OF THE REICH
THE BEGINNINGS OF NAZI FOREIGN POLICY
THE BLOOD PURGE OF JUNE 30, 1934
Chapter 8. LIFE IN THE THIRD REICH: 1933–37
THE PERSECUTION OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
THE CONTROL OF PRESS, RADIO, FILMS
THE ECONOMY OF THE THIRD REICH
Chapter 9. THE FIRST STEPS: 1934–37
THE FATEFUL DECISION OF NOVEMBER 5, 1937
Chapter 10. STRANGE, FATEFUL INTERLUDE: THE FALL OF BLOMBERG, FRITSCH, NEURATH AND SCHACHT
THE FALL OF FIELD MARSHAL VON BLOMBERG
THE FALL OF GENERAL FREIHERR WERNER VON FRITSCH
Chapter 11. ANSCHLUSS: THE RAPE OF AUSTRIA
THE MEETING AT BERCHTESGADEN: FEBRUARY 12, 1938
THE FOUR WEEKS’ AGONY: FEBRUARY 12–MARCH 11, 1938
Chapter 12. THE ROAD TO MUNICH
BIRTH OF A CONSPIRACY AGAINST HITLER
CHAMBERLAIN AT BERCHTESGADEN: SEPTEMBER 15, 1938
CHAMBERLAIN AT GODESBERG: SEPTEMBER 22–23
“BLACK WEDNESDAY” AND THE HALDER PLOT AGAINST HITLER
THE SURRENDER AT MUNICH: SEPTEMBER 29–30, 1938
Chapter 13. CZECHOSLOVAKIA CEASES TO EXIST
SLOVAKIA “WINS” ITS “INDEPENDENCE”
Chapter 14. THE TURN OF POLAND
HITLER BURNS HIS BOATS: MAY 23, 1939
THE INTERVENTION OF RUSSIA: II
THE INTERVENTION OF RUSSIA: III
THE HESITATION OF GERMANY’S ALLIES
CIANO AT SALZBURG AND OBERSALZBERG: AUGUST 11, 12, 13
Chapter 15. THE NAZI-SOVIET PACT
THE MILITARY CONFERENCE AT OBERSALZBERG: AUGUST 14
THE NAZI-SOVIET TALKS: AUGUST 15–21, 1939
THE MILITARY CONFERENCE OF AUGUST 22, 1939
RIBBENTROP IN MOSCOW: AUGUST 23, 1939
Chapter 16. THE LAST DAYS OF PEACE
JOY AND CONFUSION OF THE “CONSPIRATORS”
GERMANY AND GREAT BRITAIN AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR
Chapter 17. THE LAUNCHING OF WORLD WAR II
THE LAST-MINUTE INTERVENTION OF MUSSOLINI
THE POLISH WAR BECOMES WORLD WAR II
GERMAN MEMORANDUM PROVES ENGLAND’S GUILT
Chapter 18. THE FALL OF POLAND
Chapter 19. SITZKRIEG IN THE WEST
THE ZOSSEN “CONSPIRACY” TO OVERTHROW HITLER
A NAZI KIDNAPING AND A BEERHOUSE BOMB
NAZI TERROR IN POLAND: FIRST PHASE
FRICTION BETWEEN THE TOTALITARIANS
Chapter 20. THE CONQUEST OF DENMARK AND NORWAY
THE EMERGENCE OF VIDKUN QUISLING
HITLER MEETS WITH SUMNER WELLES AND MUSSOLINI
THE CONSPIRATORS AGAIN FRUSTRATED
THE TAKING OF DENMARK AND NORWAY
Chapter 21. VICTORY IN THE WEST
THE SIX WEEKS’ WAR: MAY 10–JUNE 25, 1940
THE CONQUEST OF THE NETHERLANDS
THE FALL OF BELGIUM AND THE TRAPPING OF THE ANGLO–FRENCH ARMIES
THE CAPITULATION OF KING LEOPOLD
THE DUCE PLUNGES HIS SMALL DAGGER INTO FRANCE’S BACK
THE SECOND ARMISTICE AT COMPIEGNE
Chapter 22. OPERATION SEA LION: THE THWARTED INVASION OF BRITAIN
POSTSCRIPT: THE NAZI PLOT TO KIDNAP THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF WINDSOR
Chapter 23. BARBAROSSA: THE TURN OF RUSSIA
“THE WORLD WILL HOLD ITS BREATH!”
Chapter 24. A TURN OF THE TIDE
Chapter 25. THE TURN OF THE UNITED STATES
“AVOID INCIDENTS WITH THE U.S.A.!”
HITLER IN THE REICHSTAG: DECEMBER 11
Chapter 26. THE CONSPIRATORS COME BACK TO LIFE
THE LAST GREAT GERMAN OFFENSIVES OF THE WAR
THE GERMAN SUMMER OFFENSIVE IN RUSSIA: 1942
THE FIRST BLOW: EL ALAMEIN AND THE ANGLO–AMERICAN LANDINGS
NAZI TERROR IN THE CONQUERED LANDS
“THE WARSAW GHETTO IS NO MORE”
THE DEATH OF HEYDRICH AND THE END OF LIDICE
Chapter 28. THE FALL OF MUSSOLINI
Chapter 29. THE ALLIED INVASION OF WESTERN EUROPE AND THE ATTEMPT TO KILL HITLER
THE MISSION OF COUNT VON STAUFFENBERG
THE ANGLO–AMERICAN INVASION, JUNE 6, 1944
THE CONSPIRACY AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR
Chapter 30. THE CONQUEST OF GERMANY
HITLER’S LAST DESPERATE GAMBLE
THE COLLAPSE OF THE GERMAN ARMIES
Chapter 31. GOETTERDAEMMERUNG: THE LAST DAYS OF THE THIRD REICH
GOERING AND HIMMLER TRY TO TAKE OVER
THE LAST TWO VISITORS TO THE BUNKER
HITLER’S LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
THE DEATH OF HITLER AND HIS BRIDE
Abbreviations used in these notes
PUBLISHED DOCUMENTARY MATERIAL