They Thought They Were Free

I really loved the first half of the book, where Mayer recounts the events surrounding Krystallnacht in a Peoria-sized town in Germany. He then recounts his conversations over several weeks with folks from that area from a variety of backgrounds. It's an excellent look at each individual's motivations, experiences, and opinions before, during, and after the Nazi era. It's a sober warning that so many thought they were the best years of their lives until the Allied invasion. Most adored Hitler.

In the second half, however, the author starts generalizing about the "German people" and lays out a grand narrative about how they were predisposed to fascism due to geography and social norms. This is despite, however, him earlier in the book continually pointing out that similar prejudices to those against Jews exist in the US towards African Americans. The author is a quaker and I was vibing with his comments that strains of fascism existed in the US. But he just totally forgets it in the second half and leaves the reader feeling that Germany really was a unique case and they were destined to repeat history.

In this fascinating book, ten ordinary Germans from the same small town are interviewed shortly after WWII about their experiences as Nazis. What made them join? What drew them to Hitler? Why did some of them participate in burning down the town's synagogue? The answers are complex, revealing complexities in German culture and humanity itself. Hitler's appeal to the little man is a major theme, and it is striking how little blame the ten Germans assign to him, instead wishing to blame those around him. Hitler fought for the little men, in their minds, and for a time, their lives were better. Consequently, there was little resistance to the piecemeal construction of an evil empire, and denial that Hitler could have committed genocide, or indeed, that such genocide existed. One can't help but feel for these people who were betrayed, and take it as a lesson against populism.

Mayer also argues that the German culture is uniquely primed for authoritarian rule, describes its encircled geographic location as a "pressure cooker" periodically requiring release. One of the most striking points for me was the comparison between the German and the Jew. The Germans also had a dislike for the Gypsies, but since they were poor they made for a poor scapegoat. The Jews, on the other hand, were different but also successful in their niche professions. Mayer says this Jewish "superman," in his own "pressure cooker" as he was encircled by hostile gentiles, was essentially German. Indeed, he says, "Germany is the Jew among nations." Chosen people, master race. It's an intriguing comparison.

I primarily enjoyed the first part of this book, mostly containing the conversations with the ten ex-Nazis, and a centuries-deep foundation for its setting, Kronenburg. The remainder of the book was interesting as well, containing Mayer's analysis of the German people, and his take on the occupation. This last part was fascinating in a historical sense, since at the time he wrote this reunification was far in the future and the Cold War was heating up. Observing Germany today with this historical perspective in mind possibly gives one optimism for the "pressure cooker" nations of today. If only we can relate to their people.