Martin Kitchen – författare

A new biography of Albert Speer, Hitler’s chief architect and trusted confidant, reveals the subject’s deeper involvement in Nazi atrocities"Kitchen, the author of a dozen works on twentieth-century Germany, comprehensively disassembles Speer's alibis and excuses. . . . His mastery of the revisionist evidence against Speer is complete."—John Fund, National Review Online"Brilliant and devastating. . . . Kitchen lays out a case so airtight that one marvels anew how Speer survived the Nuremberg trials with his neck intact."—Martin Filler, New York Review of BooksIn his best-selling autobiography, Albert Speer, Minister of Armaments and chief architect of Nazi Germany, repeatedly insisted he knew nothing of the genocidal crimes of Hitler’s Third Reich. In this revealing new biography, author Martin Kitchen disputes Speer’s lifelong assertions of ignorance and innocence, portraying a far darker figure who was deeply implicated in the appalling crimes committed by the regime he served so well.  Kitchen reconstructs Speer’s life with what we now know, including information from valuable new sources that have come to light only in recent years, challenging the portrait presented by earlier biographers and by Speer himself of a cultured technocrat devoted to his country while completely uninvolved in Nazi politics and crimes. The result is the first truly serious accounting of the man, his beliefs, and his actions during one of the darkest epochs in modern history, not only countering Speer’s claims of non-culpability but also disputing the commonly held misconception that it was his unique genius alone that kept the German military armed and fighting long after its defeat was inevitable.

This concise and lucidly written book is designed as an introduction to theories of fascism. Martin Kitchen, a distinguished scholar of German history and politics, assesses the rival claims of the main theories. These include those of the Communist International (which had such a significant political impact at the time), the more important of the psychological explanations of fascism, the theories of totalitarianism which dominated western political science in the 1950s and 1960s, the attempt by Ernst Nolte to find a way out of the impasse in which the theory of totalitarianism found itself, theories of fascism as an independent movement of the disgruntled middle classes and, lastly, fascism as a new form of Bonapartism. There is also discussion of the important question of the relationships between fascism and industry, using the examples of Italy and Germany.The various theories are discussed under two headings - 'heteronomic' and 'autonomic', the former asserting that fascism is directly produced and determined by capitalism, and the latter arguing that fascism is an independent force. In his final chapter, Martin Kitchen shows how neither sort of theory alone is satisfactory, and that both must play a part in producing a helpful theory. That this can be done is shown in the conclusion where a tentative answer is given to the question 'What is Fascism?'

From its modest to its recent disappearance, the British Empire was an extraordinary and paradoxical entity. North America, Africa, South and Southeast Asia and Australasia and innumerable small islands and territories have been fundamentally shaped - economically, socially and politically - by a nation whose imperial drive came from a bewildering mixture of rapacity and moral zeal, of high-mindedness and viciousness, of strategic cunning and feckless neglect. Martin Kitchen has written a fascinating, crisp, informative account of the rise and fall of the British Empire, concentrating on the 19th and 20th centuries but giving the background of the 'First British Empire', which was lost with the creating of the United States of America. His book is of particular value in relating the importance of the Empire to Britain's success as the only genuinely world power in the Victorian era and to Britain's ability to win the two great wars of the 20th century.

Originally published in 1981 and now re-issued with a new Preface, this book contains contributions on key issues such as the origins of the First World War, the psychological impact of that war on the Germans, the enigmatic personality of Walter Rathenau, anti-semitism and paramilitarism, as well as German Ostpolitik during the Weimar period. The collapse of the Weimar Republic is re-examined and this is followed by an analysis of the social basis of the SS leadership corps, German reactions to the defeat in 1945 as observed by the British authorities and finally a wide-ranging comparatiste essay on why Germany did not experience a 20th century revolution in spite of the tremendous upheavals it suffered.

Originally published in 1981 and now re-issued with a new Preface, this book contains contributions on key issues such as the origins of the First World War, the psychological impact of that war on the Germans, the enigmatic personality of Walter Rathenau, anti-semitism and paramilitarism, as well as German Ostpolitik during the Weimar period. The collapse of the Weimar Republic is re-examined and this is followed by an analysis of the social basis of the SS leadership corps, German reactions to the defeat in 1945 as observed by the British authorities and finally a wide-ranging comparatiste essay on why Germany did not experience a 20th century revolution in spite of the tremendous upheavals it suffered.

Originally published in 1978, this book goes beyond conventional studies of economic history to discuss wider political and social questions pertinent to the development of the German political economy of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The interaction between economic development and social structure played a unique and extremely important role in the development of 19th century Germany and accounts for the distinct manner in which German society developed during this period. This book examines the origins and nature of the German industrial revolution, and effects of the Zollverein on economic growth and national unity, and the critical role of railway building.

Originally published in 1978, this book goes beyond conventional studies of economic history to discuss wider political and social questions pertinent to the development of the German political economy of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The interaction between economic development and social structure played a unique and extremely important role in the development of 19th century Germany and accounts for the distinct manner in which German society developed during this period. This book examines the origins and nature of the German industrial revolution, and effects of the Zollverein on economic growth and national unity, and the critical role of railway building.

Originally published in 1976 and based upon the extensive use of original archival material, this book provides a detailed account of the 2 years in which the German army enjoyed unprecedented power and influence. The rise of Hindenburg and Ludendorff is seen against the background of the failure of the army to win a decisive victory in the early stages of the war. The book provides insights into the dynamics of German militarism and imperialism, and is an important contribution to the discussion of the continuity of German history.

Originally published in 1976 and based upon the extensive use of original archival material, this book provides a detailed account of the 2 years in which the German army enjoyed unprecedented power and influence. The rise of Hindenburg and Ludendorff is seen against the background of the failure of the army to win a decisive victory in the early stages of the war. The book provides insights into the dynamics of German militarism and imperialism, and is an important contribution to the discussion of the continuity of German history.

This study approaches the Epistle to the Ephesians in a radically different way from traditional commentaries. Rather than analysing each individual verse, Martin Kitchen examines the complete text within the framework of contemporary biblical criticism. He acknowledges the debt which biblical studies owes to historical method, while at the same time recognizing the need to view the Epistle against the background of recent literary approaches to New Testament texts. Ephesians also takes into account the important questions of whether the Epistle was written by St Paul and, if not, why it was written at all.This book will be valuable reading for all theologians, students of theology and ministers of religion.

This study approaches the Epistle to the Ephesians in a radically different way from traditional commentaries. Rather than analysing each individual verse, Martin Kitchen examines the complete text within the framework of contemporary biblical criticism. He acknowledges the debt which biblical studies owes to historical method, while at the same time recognizing the need to view the Epistle against the background of recent literary approaches to New Testament texts. Ephesians also takes into account the important questions of whether the Epistle was written by St Paul and, if not, why it was written at all.This book will be valuable reading for all theologians, students of theology and ministers of religion.

At the height of his power in January 1941 Hitler made the fateful decision to send troops to North Africa to save the beleaguered Italian army from defeat. Martin Kitchen's masterful history of the Axis campaign provides a fundamental reassessment of the key battles of 1941-3, Rommel's generalship, and the campaign's place within the broader strategic context of the war. He shows that the British were initially helpless against the operational brilliance of Rommel's Panzer divisions. However Rommel's initial successes and refusal to follow orders committed the Axis to a campaign well beyond their means. Without the reinforcements or supplies he needed to deliver a knockout blow, Rommel was forced onto the defensive and Hitler's Mediterranean strategy began to unravel. The result was the loss of an entire army which together with defeat at Stalingrad signalled a decisive shift in the course of the war.

A concise account of the war - including the war in Asia and the Pacific as well as the European arena. Covers the formation of the victorious Grand Alliance and to the problems that beset it, and to Nazi Germany's relations with its allies.

A powerful and absorbing study of the German home front from the outbreak of hostilities to the collapse of the Third Reich. It explores the impact of Nazi domestic policies on the German people, and the effects of the extreme radicalization of the regime under the pressures of total war. It examines the economy, social policy, and the realities of daily life; the part played by the law and the Churches; the changing role of women; the fate of foreign workers, prisoners of war and the Jews; and the extent of resistance to the regime. At its heart is the crucial relationship of the party, the state and public opinion in the Hitler Years.

Martin Kitchen’s compelling account of Europe between the wars sets the twenty-year crisis within the context of the profound sense of cultural malaise shared by many philosophers and artists, the economic crises that plagued a Europe ruined by war and the social upheavals caused by widespread unemployment and grinding poverty amid a noticeable improvement of living standards. This thoroughly revised edition, with completely new sections on intellectual, cultural and social history is richly illustrated with contemporary photographs. It is an up-to-date and lively account of a critical period of European history when the old world collapsed, the dictators offered seemingly exciting alternatives, and democracies were put to the supreme test.Written for undergraduate students studying 20th century European history, this new edition of a classic will challenge and provoke a deeper understanding of the interwar years.

The arrival of German troops in North Africa in February 1941 marked the beginning of a fast-moving campaign over thousands of miles of desert that began with a series of startling victories, only to end in a shattering defeat. At the centre is the controversial figure of Erwin Rommel, a swashbuckling, vainglorious tactician of genius, but a soldier of limited operational and strategic ability, whom Goebbels' propaganda machine converted into Germany's most famous soldier, and whose forceful leadership and initial victories gave him an almost mythical status in both German and Allied eyes. But this was more than Rommel's 'War Without Hate'. It was part of Hitler's global strategy for race, space and world domination. At the heels of the Afrikakorps were SS killers, eager to get to work in Egypt and Palestine in close collaboration with local Muslims.The story has often been told from the Allied side, for El Alamein was the first defeat inflicted on the Germans, but here for the first time is a detailed history, based on extensive archival research, of Hitler's 'other campaign'.Set within the context of Hitler's relations with Mussolini, as well as the floundering campaign in the Soviet Union, it further reveals the extent to which Nazi Germany's staggering ambitions were out of all proportion to the means available, so that its final defeat was almost inevitable.

A HISTORY OF MODERN GERMANY A History of Modern Germany provides a comprehensive account of the social, political, and economic history of Germany from 1800 to the present. Written in an engaging and accessible narrative style, this popular textbook offers an expansive view of the nation’s complex and fragmented past, tracing the development of the German national consciousness through Napoleonic rule, the unification of Germany, the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, post-war division, the collapse of Communism, reunification, and the first two decades of the 21st century. Throughout the text, the authors discuss the tensions prompted by structural changes within Germany, long-term shifts in demographics, social and economic reforms, and more.Now in its third edition, A History of Modern Germany offers richer coverage of German cultural history, the German Democratic Republic, modernization, class, religion, and gender. Updated chapters explore continuity in imperial projects from Bismarck to Hitler, memory and commemoration since 1945, the distinct but intertwined histories of the two Germanys between 1949 and 1989, and the experience of diversity after the Second World into the post-unification era.A History of Modern Germany: 1800 to the Present, Third Edition is an excellent textbook for undergraduate students taking courses in modern German history or modern European history as well as general readers with an interest in the subject.

Martin Kitchen’s compelling account of Europe between the wars sets the twenty-year crisis within the context of the profound sense of cultural malaise shared by many philosophers and artists, the economic crises that plagued a Europe ruined by war and the social upheavals caused by widespread unemployment and grinding poverty amid a noticeable improvement of living standards. This thoroughly revised edition, with completely new sections on intellectual, cultural and social history is richly illustrated with contemporary photographs. It is an up-to-date and lively account of a critical period of European history when the old world collapsed, the dictators offered seemingly exciting alternatives, and democracies were put to the supreme test.Written for undergraduate students studying 20th century European history, this new edition of a classic will challenge and provoke a deeper understanding of the interwar years.

A powerful and absorbing study of the German home front from the outbreak of hostilities to the collapse of the Third Reich. It explores the impact of Nazi domestic policies on the German people, and the effects of the extreme radicalization of the regime under the pressures of total war. It examines the economy, social policy, and the realities of daily life; the part played by the law and the Churches; the changing role of women; the fate of foreign workers, prisoners of war and the Jews; and the extent of resistance to the regime. At its heart is the crucial relationship of the party, the state and public opinion in the Hitler Years.

A concise account of the war - including the war in Asia and the Pacific as well as the European arena. Covers the formation of the victorious Grand Alliance and to the problems that beset it, and to Nazi Germany's relations with its allies.

The twelve years of the Third Reich casts a dark shadow over history. Fierce debates still rage over many of the hows, whys and wherefores of this perplexing period.Leading expert on German history, Martin Kitchen, provides a concise, accessible and provocative account of Nazi Germany. It takes into account the political, social, economic and cultural ramifications, and sets it within the context of the times, while pointing out those areas that still defy our understanding.This lively account addresses major issues such as the reasons for Hitlers extraordinary popularity, his hold over the German people even when all seemed lost, the role of ideology, the cooption of the elites, and the descent into war for race and space, culminating in the horrors of the holocaust.

In February 1934 fighting broke out in Linz between government forces and the Social Democratic Party. Within hours Vienna was up in arms and the fighting soon spread to other parts of Austria. A few days later the party was destroyed and Austria seemed to many observers to have joined the ranks of fascist states. The violence of the fighting, particularly the shelling of the vast workers’ housing complex, the Karl-Marx-Hof, and the summary execution of a number of leading figures in the fighting horrified the civilised world. This book, first published in 1980, looks at the importance of Austrian social democracy as one of the pillars of European Marxism and shows how it became a victim of the spread of fascism. The radical right and the peculiarities of Austrian varieties of fascism are given particular attention, and Dollfuss’s own brand of fascistic state is analysed in terms of classic forms of fascism. Particular emphasis is placed on the economic and social problems of the Austrian Republic which led to a deepening of the political crisis and also to the foreign political ramifications of the problem. Although Dollfuss appeared to be determinedly anti-Nazi it was he who finally gave the order to destroy the Social Democratic Party little realising he was destroying himself. Thus, this study illustrates how socialism was strengthened rather than weakened by the fighting in February, and Austrian fascism far from halting German fascism, paved the way for its final triumph.

In February 1934 fighting broke out in Linz between government forces and the Social Democratic Party. Within hours Vienna was up in arms and the fighting soon spread to other parts of Austria. A few days later the party was destroyed and Austria seemed to many observers to have joined the ranks of fascist states. The violence of the fighting, particularly the shelling of the vast workers’ housing complex, the Karl-Marx-Hof, and the summary execution of a number of leading figures in the fighting horrified the civilised world. This book, first published in 1980, looks at the importance of Austrian social democracy as one of the pillars of European Marxism and shows how it became a victim of the spread of fascism. The radical right and the peculiarities of Austrian varieties of fascism are given particular attention, and Dollfuss’s own brand of fascistic state is analysed in terms of classic forms of fascism. Particular emphasis is placed on the economic and social problems of the Austrian Republic which led to a deepening of the political crisis and also to the foreign political ramifications of the problem. Although Dollfuss appeared to be determinedly anti-Nazi it was he who finally gave the order to destroy the Social Democratic Party little realising he was destroying himself. Thus, this study illustrates how socialism was strengthened rather than weakened by the fighting in February, and Austrian fascism far from halting German fascism, paved the way for its final triumph.

The twelve years of the Third Reich casts a dark shadow over history. Fierce debates still rage over many of the hows, whys and wherefores of this perplexing period.Leading expert on German history, Martin Kitchen, provides a concise, accessible and provocative account of Nazi Germany. It takes into account the political, social, economic and cultural ramifications, and sets it within the context of the times, while pointing out those areas that still defy our understanding.This lively account addresses major issues such as the reasons for Hitlers extraordinary popularity, his hold over the German people even when all seemed lost, the role of ideology, the cooption of the elites, and the descent into war for race and space, culminating in the horrors of the holocaust.

Wise and informed commentary on the lectionary readings for the principal service in Year C. The authors represent a wide spectrum of theology but their shared concern for excellence in preaching have combined to produce an inspirational volume.

For all who preach and for all who prepare for worship by prayerful reading of the Scripture passages for the day, Word of Promise is a practical and devotional companion which offers wise and informed commentary on the principal service lectionary readings for each Sunday and major holy day in Year A, the year of Matthew. The authors represent a wide spectrum of biblical theology, but their shared love of Scripture and concern for excellence in preaching have combined to produce a commentary that is at once insightful and inspirational. Drawing together Old Testament, Psalm, Epistle and Gospel readings, they provide many imaginative starting points for further reflection and application. Word of Promise will open minds and hearts to the Scriptures and encourage a greater sense of expectation in worship.

An essential handbook for preachers and a lively, informed devotional companion for those who prepare for worship by reading the Scriptures, this commentary on the Principal Service readings for Year C offers:•Variations in interpretation•Background history•Links between passages•Theological significance•Language sources •Illustrative quotes