Ian Kershaw Livres

Dès sa publication en France en 1992, l'ouvrage de Ian Kershaw s'est imposé comme une indispensable référence. En effet, le retard pris par l'école historique française dans l'étude du national-socialisme est inquiétant, alors qu'à l'étranger les travaux sur le nazisme ne se comptent plus. Au point que même le spécialiste a du mal à en faire le tour. Quant au phénomène lui-même, il soulève de façon aiguë un certain nombre de problèmes théoriques d'interprétation d'une redoutable complexité. Aussi n'est-il pas surprenant que les étudiants aient quelque difficulté à s'orienter dans le dédale des analyses et contre-analyses dont l'histoire de l'Allemagne moderne continue de faire l'objet. On comprend dès lors l'impact qu'a eu et continue d'avoir Qu'est-ce que le nazisme ? Ian Kershaw dégage les problèmes clefs d'interprétation de la dictature nazie, explique de manière concise les zones d'ombre ou les débats qui demeurent, montre comment les historiens d'horizons différents les ont traités et, enfin, tente d'évaluer les positions en présence.

Une biographie substantielle qui cherche à nous expliquer comment Hitler a pu étendre son pouvoir jusqu'au pouvoir absolu. Elle se penche sur l'homme, mais autant sur l'Allemagne, c'est-à-dire sur les motivations sociales et politiques de la population qui ont mené à un tel régime politique. On voit ainsi leur évolution commune durant le début du siècle à Vienne, la Grande Guerre, la politique de la Bavière des années 1920, jusqu'au triomphe d'Hitler.

Evénement majeur de notre siècle, le nazisme demeure également une énigme majeure posée aux historiens. Entre l'omnipotence diabolique de Hitler et la description de son pouvoir comme celui d'un " dictateur faible " face à un appareil d'Etat tout-puissant, Ian Kershaw risque une vision nouvelle. Ce qui devient objet d'histoire, ce n'est plus Hitler, mais sa position exceptionnelle qui excédait la mesure d'un individu sans qualité, tribun de brasserie, déclassé social, artiste raté. Hitler exerçait une autorité charismatique, fondée sur la perception, toujours renouvelée, par la masse de qualités, d'une mission, d'un héroïsme supposés du chef. Le charisme permet enfin de tenir ensemble tous les traits que les interprétations précédentes avaient jusqu'alors séparément soulignés : le pouvoir de Hitler résultait de la collaboration, de la tolérance, des faux espoirs ou de la faiblesse de tous ceux qui, en Allemagne, occupaient une position de pouvoir ou d'influence - tous reportèrent leurs attentes ou leurs ressentiments dans la personne du dictateur. Il devint l'emblème de l'activisme, la source de l'autorité légitime, l'instance de confirmation ou de sanction des faits et gestes de quiconque agissait selon les intentions qu'il prêtait au Führer.

Following the enormous success of HITLER: HUBRIS this book triumphantly completes one of the great modern biographies. No figure in twentieth century history more clearly demands a close biographical understanding than Adolf Hitler; and no period is more important than the Second World War. Beginning with Hitler's startling European successes in the aftermath of the Rhinelland occupation and ending nine years later with the suicide in the Berlin bunker, Kershaw allows us as never before to understand the motivation and the impact of this bizarre misfit. He addresses the crucial questions about the unique nature of Nazi radicalism, about the Holocaust and about the poisoned European world that allowed Hitler to operate so effectively.

Ian Kershaw's biography of Hitler is a definitive work that combines a personal history of the dictator with an analysis of the forces that enabled his rise to power. Kershaw explores Hitler's impact and the context of Nazi Germany, providing a vivid account of his ascent and the resulting atrocities of World War II.

'Superb ... likely to become a classic' Observer In the summer of 1914 most of Europe plunged into a war so catastrophic that it unhinged the continent's politics and beliefs in a way that took generations to recover from. The disaster terrified its survivors, shocked that a civilization that had blandly assumed itself to be a model for the rest of the world had collapsed into a chaotic savagery beyond any comparison. In 1939 Europeans would initiate a second conflict that managed to be even worse - a war in which the killing of civilians was central and which culminated in the Holocaust. To Hell and Back tells this story with humanity, flair and originality. Kershaw gives a compelling narrative of events, but he also wrestles with the most difficult issues that the events raise - with what it meant for the Europeans who initiated and lived through such fearful times - and what this means for us.

This is a a fascinating and original exploration of how the Third Reich was willing and able to fight to the bitter end of World War II. Countless books have been written about why Nazi Germany lost World War II, yet remarkably little attention has been paid to the equally vital question of how and why it was able to hold out as long as it did. The Third Reich did not surrender until Germany had been left in ruins and almost completely occupied.

A powerful narrative detailing the final days of the Nazi regime and the collapse of a nation.

From one of Britain's most distinguished historians and the bestselling author of Hitler, this is the definitive history of a divided Europe, from the aftermath of the Second World War to the present. After the overwhelming horrors of the first half of the 20th century, described by Ian Kershaw in his previous book as having gone 'to Hell and back', the years from 1950 to 2017 brought peace and relative prosperity to most of Europe. Enormous economic improvements transformed the continent. The catastrophic era of the world wars receded into an ever more distant past, though its long shadow continued to shape mentalities. Europe was now a divided continent, living under the nuclear threat in a period intermittently fraught with anxiety. Europeans experienced a 'roller-coaster ride', both in the sense that they were flung through a series of events which threatened disaster, but also in that they were no longer in charge of their own destinies: for much of the period the USA and USSR effectively reduced Europeans to helpless figures whose fates were dictated to them by the Cold War. There were striking successes - the Soviet bloc melted away, dictatorships vanished and Germany was successfully reunited. But accelerating globalization brought new fragilities. The impact of interlocking crises after 2008 was the clearest warning to Europeans that there was no guarantee of peace and stability. In this remarkable book, Ian Kershaw has created a grand panorama of the world we live in and where it came from. Drawing on examples from all across the continent, Roller-Coaster will make us all rethink Europe and what it means to be European.

Ian Kershaw's Fateful Choices examines pivotal political decisions that significantly influenced the trajectory of the Second World War. The tumultuous events at the war's onset created an unpredictable landscape where aggressors pursued boundless ambitions while their victims faced the threat of a new Dark Age. Kershaw delves into ten crucial decisions made from May 1940, when Britain opted against surrender, to December 1941, when Hitler resolved to annihilate Europe's Jews, illustrating how these choices reshaped history. The book has garnered praise for its powerful arguments and its ability to alter perspectives on the conflict. Andrew Roberts calls it "important," while Alan Massie highlights its contribution to understanding the war. Richard Overy commends Kershaw's scholarly rigor and sound judgment, noting his compelling re-examination of the conflict. Max Hastings describes it as a lucid and impeccably argued exploration of the war's greatest political decisions. Anthony Beevor emphasizes Kershaw's immense knowledge and clarity, calling the work brilliantly explained and wise. Kershaw, a leading authority on Hitler and a former Professor of Modern History at the University of Sheffield, has authored several influential works, including his acclaimed biographies of Hitler.