COMPARING THE SOCIOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT IN THE GERMANY OF THE 1920S-1930S WITH THAT OF THE GERMANY OF THE 1980S-1990S
There are those individuals who view the manifestations of the reunification of Germany--the rise in hate crimes, a slumping economy, and political dissension--as signs that hearken back to the Germany of the Weimar Republic. Many of these observers think that the similarities between present day Germany and the pre-NAZI Germany are sufficiently strong to indicate that contemporary Germany may soon disintegrate into an economic and social chaos from which another repressive, authoritarian, and dangerous government will emerge. The thesis of this current research is that the similarities between the Germany of the 1920s-1930s and the Germany of the 1980s-1990s are superficial, and that the likelihood is remote that contemporary Germany will be plunged into social chaos or that a reactionary, dictatorial government will come to power.
Comparing the Sociological and Economic Environments
Pre-NAZI Germany was "vulnerable to the lure of militarism and totalitarianism" (Englemann, 1986, p. xiii). There existed a propensity to violence in Germany during this period (Schoenbaum, 1966, p. 1). Many German citizens viewed totalitarianism as an acceptable means of controlling societal violence.
In 1946, Douglas Kelly (1946), pp. 34-49), following his psychological examination of the Nuremberg prisoners, concluded that the Nazi "personalities are not unique or insane and could be duplicated in any country in the world." The personalities most certainly could be duplicated. The institutionalization of terror, violence, and heinous behavior, however, is another question. The willingness of millions of Germans to accept the Jews as the target of institutionalized terror, violence, and heinous acts is yet another question mark with respect to duplication.
The socio/psycholo...