Robert Gellately is a leading historian of modern Europe, particularly focused on the eras of World War II and the Cold War. His extensive interest in the Holocaust has also led him to research other genocides, for which he maintains strict definitional guidelines. Gellately's work delves into the dynamics of power, consent, and coercion within totalitarian regimes. Through analyses often grounded in original documents and testimonies, his scholarship challenges simplistic historical narratives, emphasizing complex social and political processes.
The book offers a daring analysis of the significant social and political transformations in Europe during the tumultuous years from 1914 to 1945. It covers pivotal events such as the Russian Revolution and the Second World War, exploring the interconnectedness of these upheavals and their impact on European society. Through a comprehensive examination, it sheds light on the forces that shaped modern Europe during this critical period.
Exploring the roots of Nazi ideology, Gellately examines how Hitler's beliefs fueled his rise to power in 1933 and influenced the Third Reich, ultimately leading to the Second World War and the Holocaust. The book delves into the reasons behind the widespread adoption of National Socialism by millions, even among those who never encountered Hitler directly or engaged with his writings. It provides insight into the complex interplay between ideology and mass support during this dark chapter in history.
This book offers an intriguing examination of the everyday operations of the Gestapo, the Nazi secret police. How was the Gestapo able to detect the smallest signs of non-compliance with Nazi doctrines--especially "crimes" pertaining to the private spheres of social, family, and sexual life? How could the police enforce policies such as those designed to isolate Jews, or the foreign workers brought to Germany after 1939, with such apparent ease? Addressing these questions, Gellately argues that the key factor in the successful enforcement of Nazi racial policy was the willingness of German citizens to provide authorities with information about suspected "criminality." He demonstrates that without some degree of popular participation in the operation of institutions such as the Gestapo, the regime would have been seriously hampered in the "realization of the unthinkable," not only inside Germany but also in many of the occupied countries. The product of extensive archival research, this incisive study surveys the experiences of areas across Germany, drawing out national, local, and regional implications.
The story of how Stalin ruthlessly built his 'Red Empire' in the aftermath of World War II - and what inspired him to build it.
The book unveils Joseph Stalin's strategic duplicity during World War II, revealing his true intentions to expand the Soviet empire while appearing to collaborate with Western leaders like Roosevelt and Churchill. Utilizing newly released Russian documents, Robert Gellately illustrates how Stalin's actions were calculated moves to establish Communist regimes across Europe, ultimately setting the stage for the Cold War. This account offers a gripping exploration of the political dynamics of the era and the deceptive maneuvers of Stalin's Kremlin.
Nazi ideology drove Hitler's quest for power in 1933, colored everything in the Third Reich, and culminated in the Second World War and the Holocaust. In this book, Gellately addresses often-debated questions about how Fuhrer discovered the ideology and why millions adopted aspects of National Socialism without having laid eyes on the leader or reading his work.
A thought-provoking assessment and documentation of one of the most terrible periods in history - the rise and fall of the Nazi Party.
Robert Gellately challenges the belief that the German people knew little about the Nazi terror, and the tendency of historians to distance ordinary Germans from its excesses. He reveals for the first time the social consensus behind the regime and the extent to which German men and women were involved in the persecution of social outsiders and 'race enemies'.
This book examines the everyday operations of the Gestapo, the Nazi secret police. How were the Gestapo able to detect the smallest signs of noncompliance with Nazi doctrines, especially 'crimes' pertaining to the private spheres of social, family, and sexual life? How could the police enforce policies such as those designed to isolate the Jews or foreign workers with such apparent ease?
Co sprawiało, że zwykli Niemcy stawali się gorliwymi zwolennikami Hitlera? Jak niewielka, ekstremistyczna partia NSDAP przekształciła się wmasowy ruch polityczny? Dlaczego, mimo początkowych wyborczych porażek, zdołała zgromadzić ogromne społeczne poparcie? Wjaki sposób miliony osób głęboko przyswoiły sobie poszczególne aspekty nazistowskiej ideologii? Czemu ogromna część Niemców zaakceptowała wywołanie krwawej wojny, masowy terror iniezliczone zbrodnie? Autor poszukuje odpowiedzi na te pytania, opierając się na różnorodnych źródłach, przede wszystkim na bogatym materiale archiwalnym. Rekonstruuje, jak krystalizowała się nazistowska ideologia, oraz opisuje przyczyny imechanizmy gromadzenia się wokół NSDAP przedstawicieli kolejnych grup społecznych. Zachęca przy tym czytelników, by spojrzeć na idee iprogram nazistów jako na zestaw konkretnych obietnic ipropozycji złożonych niemieckiemu społeczeństwu, anie irracjonalną, niespójną mieszankę absurdalnych pomysłów. Wswojej książce stara się zbadać, obecność których komponentów była decydująca dla powszechnej akceptacji polityki Hitlera. Ukazuje, jakie elementy kultury politycznej Niemiec sprzyjały temu, by to właśnie nazistowska synteza retoryki skrajnie nacjonalistycznej, rasistowskiej isocjalistycznej znalazła tak szeroki oddźwięk nad Renem. Robert Gellately kanadyjski historyk, badacz dziejów XX wieku, wszczególności nazistowskiego isowieckiego totalitaryzmu. Wieloletni wykładowca Florida State University. Autor m.in. Stalins Curse: Battling for Communism in War and Cold War (2013).