Germans After the War. How West Germany Managed to Overcome Nazism

How did it happen that a seemingly civilized nation unleashed two world wars in 30 years and descended into Nazi barbarism? Can the Germans correct themselves, become free, will they be safe for their neighbors — or are they forever doomed to follow their "special path," choosing dictators and instigating conflicts? Such questions were posed by Europeans and Americans in the mid-1940s. Many believed that Hitler's rise to power and external aggression from Germany were inevitable, explaining it by the very nature of the Germans and their national character. But the Federal Republic of Germany, built on the ruins of the Third Reich, became a peaceful democratic state, safe for both its citizens and its neighbors. What was behind this metamorphosis? How did the transformation of an entire nation occur?

This book by historian Nikolai Vlasov answers these questions.