The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich Book’s Usefulness in Academic Research

In his work The Rise and Fall of Reich

William Lawrence Shirer describes the development and demise of Hitler’s Germany Nazi Party. Given that the assertions and supporting information in the book are credible, it is pertinent in academic circles. Shirer is a reliable source for information about Nazi Germany because he experienced the country firsthand while working and living there from 1934 through 1940 during the Third Reich. He was a veteran journalist and radio host who covered the conflict primarily and saw how things developed in Berlin. (97). Finally, his credibility and expertise in writing the book would be attributed to his close association with German forces in the invasion of the Netherlands, Norway, France, and Belgium (80).

The main argument in the book is war is good for a nation’s glory

for separating the weak from the strong and for in keeping the nation on its toes and fit. Although this is what Shirer writes, the persuasion is in alignment the words of Hitler. The book is well-written since evidence supports this claim from the text and in Hitler’s conduct. Since Hitler believed war is good, he steered German into a war that led Europe into havoc in a span of about thirty years following the self-destruction in WWI (2). Hitler’s love for war also resulted in the death of approximately 3% of the world’s population then (87). Shirer writes the book excellently since he not only elaborates what happened during the second world war but also seeks to explain why that was happening. Shirer offers the reason and motivation of Hitler and other players that made the warfare unfold as it did. The simple explanation is that of German’s pursuit of martial glory and eventually to shame Klingon in that victory.

Shirer uses primary sources extensively

to enhance the credibility of his book, and this increases its validity and usefulness in academic circles. He witnesses the occurrences of the war, and as he writes the book, he states what he witnesses thus minimizing inaccuracies. One of the primary sources used is the paper Shirer wrote in the Berlin diary detailing Hitler’s instructions and command to the Nazi soldiers. The Berlin Diary partly reads, ’We are strong and will get stronger,’ Hitler shouted at them through the microphone, his words echoing across the hushed field from the loudspeakers.’ Additionally, the book relies heavily on documents collected after the Second World War by Nazi allies from the captured files. Shirer cites some of the primary sources used such as the speeches of Hitler after their analysis and putting them in their right context.

The Rise and fall of Reich book has a few weaknesses

that can undermine its utilization in academic circles. For instance, Shirer presents the German people as those depicting total obedience and servility to Hitler’s authority while psychological experiments reveal that human beings tend to defy such authority (1). Additionally, compared with other historical texts written then, it is evident that Shirer leaves out the mention of the persecution of the gay people which is essential (12). America was central in the World War II but it not mentioned accordingly in Shirer’s book. Such role of other developed nations would have improved the scope of the book.

Bibliography

Beschloss, Michael R. The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the destruction of Hitler’s Germany, 1941-1945. Simon and Schuster, 2003.

Gonzalez, George A. “Star Trek and World Government.” In The Politics of Star Trek, pp. 87-101. Palgrave Macmillan US, 2015.

Kershaw, Ian. The Nazi Dictatorship: Problems and perspectives of interpretation. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2015.

Kershaw, Ian. Popular opinion and political dissent in the Third Reich, Bavaria 1933-1945. Oxford University Press, 2002.

Rokakis, Jennifer. “The Persecution of Homosexuals During the Holocaust.” (2013).

Rudner, Lawrence S. “Part VA Different kind of News: Edward R. Murrow as Broadcast Journalist. Born to a New Craft: Edward R. Murrow, 1938–1940.” The Journal of Popular Culture 15, no. 2 (1981): 97-105.

Shirer, William Lawrence. 20th-century journey: a memoir of a life and the times. Vol. 1. Bantam Books, 1985.