Political Education of Arnold Brecht: An Autobiography, 1884-1970

by Arnold Brecht

Overview

Arnold Brecht witnessed and participated in the course of German history from the late 19th century to the present. Serving under seven Reich chancellors, he became acting Secretary of State, and was finally removed from office by Hitler in 1933.

This is an absorbing account of these momentous years: a Germany preoccupied with conquest, the catastrophe of World War I, the nerve-wracking decisions of the Armistice, the fateful Kapp Putsch, the failures of the Weimar Republic, the tragedy of the death of Rathenau and the ensuing swing to the Right.

Professor Brecht depicts in detail the social milieu of pre-war Germany and the political decisions—internal and external—of a country abased before the world. He is able to write from firsthand knowledge of Hitler, Chancellor Max von Baden, President Friedrich Ebert, Matthias Erzberger, Gustav Stresemann, Walter Rathenau, and many others.

This book is an autobiography, full of rich and detailed accounts of the author's personal philosophy and life as a private individual. It is also an impressive eye-witness account of Germany in the 19th and 20th centuries. Finally, it is in effect a work of applied political theory, a suitable companion to his Political Theory.

Originally published in 1970.

The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780691647746
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	04/19/2016
Series:	Princeton Legacy Library , #1637
Pages:	564
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.40(h) x 1.40(d)

Table of Contents

• Frontmatter, pg. i
• INTRODUCTION, pg. vii
• CONTENTS, pg. xiii
• 1. As a Child at Home, pg. 3
• 2. Schooldays (1891-1902), pg. 7
• 3. University (1902-1905), pg. 13
• 4. Unconscious Political Principles, pg. 22
• 5. When You Do Not Know What You Want— 29 In-Service Training (1906-1909), pg. 29
• 6. The Great State Examination—Death of My Father— Judge in Lubeck (1910), pg. 34
• 7. In the Federal Department of Justice (1910-1918), pg. 38
• 8. Events But Dimly Noticed, pg. 44
• 9. Political Education Through the War's Outbreak (1914), pg. 49
• 10. Political Education Through the War's Aims, pg. 59
• 11. Political Education Through the Struggle for World Opinion, pg. 70
• 12. Constitution and Leadership, pg. 72
• 13. Life Before Death Goes on Even in War, pg. 75
• 14. My First Weeks in the Chancellery—Discovery of the Real Situation (October, 1918), pg. 80
• 15. Interlude: A Non-Delivered Speech, pg. 96
• 16. The Last Cabinet Meeting Before the Revolution in Kiel (November 2,1918): Minutes Lost, But Rediscovered, pg. 97
• 17. The German November Revolution, pg. 108
• 18. The Chancellery in the Period of Transition from Monarchy to Republic, pg. 119
• 19. The Struggle Around a Proletarian Dictatorship, pg. 126
• 20. Lack of Power from the Top Downward, pg. 131
• 21. Why the Old Army? Why Not a New People’s Guard ?, pg. 139
• 22. Political Education Through the Act of Voting, pg. 147
• 23. Democracy and Constitution, pg. 153
• 24. The Chancellery in the Transition to Democracy— The Struggle for a Planned Economy, pg. 159
• 25. The Peace Treaty—Responsibility for the Collapse, pg. 164
• 26. Erzberger in Weimar, pg. 169
• 27. Looking Back at Life in Weimar, pg. 171
• 28. Vain Attempt to Escape Politics—Controversy with Ludendorff, pg. 174
• 29. A Winter of Unpleasantness—Kapp Putsch—Loss of the Democratic Majority (1919-1920), pg. 175
• 30. Reflections on the Loss of a Pro-Democratic Majority Under a Democratic Constitution, pg. 184
• 31. The First Cabinet Without Socialists (1920), pg. 191
• 32. Historical Turning Points—Meetings with Pohner, Hitler, Pacelli (1920,1921), pg. 194
• 33. Figures Difficult to Understand, pg. 201
• 34. Meeting Hauptmann, pg. 203
• 35. The Two Bachelors: Wirth and Rathenau, pg. 204
• 36. Changes in the Chancellery and in the Cabinet, pg. 212
• 37. The Anniversary of the Constitution (August 11, 1921), pg. 215
• 38. The Death of Erzberger, pg. 218
• 39. The End of My Three Years in the Chancellery—Taking Over the Constitution Division in the Ministry of the Interior, pg. 220
• 40. The Magic of Limited Functions, pg. 223
• 41. Staff Problems, pg. 224
• 42. The Death of Rathenau, pg. 226
• 43. Political Consequences of the Rathenau Murder, pg. 231
• 44. Edging to the Right—Black-Red-Gold—Stresemann’s Flag-Damascus, pg. 234
• 45. Occupation of the Ruhr—Revolt in Bavaria—Hitler Putsch—The Hundred Days of Chanceller Stresemann, pg. 237
• 46. Changes in the Ministry of the Interior, pg. 241
• 47. Germany's Reorganization (Reichsreform), pg. 244
• 48. Electoral Reform, pg. 247
• 49. Easing of International and Economic Tensions—The Dawes Plan—Further Jolt to the Right, pg. 250
• 50. Ebert’s Death, pg. 254
• 51. Hindenburg's Election: The Apparent and the Real Surprise, pg. 256
• 52. Continuing Work Under Anti- and Pro-Democratic Ministers—Luther's Defeat on the Flag Issue, pg. 260
• 53. Dimissal by My Eighth Minister—Appointment in Prussia, pg. 263
• 54. Prussia in the Twenties, pg. 269
• 55. The Reichsrat (Federal Council), pg. 273
• 56. Rapporteur for the Federal Budget—International Comparison of Public Expenditures, pg. 276
• 57. The Myth of the Pocket Battleship, pg. 280
• 58. Fitting Prussia and Bavaria into Germany's Reorganization, pg. 285
• 59. Death of My Mother, pg. 288
• 60. Declining Appointment to Chief of the Chancellery, pg. 289
• 61. The Triumph of Cooperation, pg. 290
• 62. Bavaria’s Dissent, pg. 296
• 63. Backstage in Prussia—My Relations to Minister-President Braun, pg. 299
• 64. The Failure of the Federal Reform, pg. 300
• 65. The Young Plan and Dr. Schacht’s Leaving the Democratic Band Wagon, pg. 304
• 66. Stresemann's Death and the End of the Great Coalition, pg. 309
• 67. Brüning, pg. 311
• 68. Brüning’s Fight Against Reparations and Germany’s Unilateral Disarmament, pg. 317
• 69. Brüning’s Fight Against Unemployment—His Policy of Deflation, pg. 320
• 70. Brüning’s Frontal Attack on National Socialism, pg. 324
• 71. The Prussian Government’s Fight Against National Socialism, pg. 325
• 72. Personal Commitment—Deutschlandbund, pg. 327
• 73. Presidential Election, 1932—Hindenburg’s Re-Election— Dissolution of Hitler’s Storm Troops—Brüning’s Triumph Thwarted—The Tragedy of a Rule Too Weakly Grounded, pg. 331
• 74. Hindenburg’s Ominous About-Turn, pg. 337
• 75. Dilettante Methods, pg. 341
• 76. Germany’s Reorganization by Force, pg. 345
• 77. The 20th of July, 1932—My Speech at the Supreme Constitutional Court, pg. 352
• 78. Equal Treatment of National Socialists and Communists ?, pg. 360
• 79. Active or Passive Resistance ?, pg. 364
• 80. Intermezzo—Papen Caught in His Own Snares, pg. 368
• 81. Proceedings Before the Supreme Constitutional Court—Its Decision (October 10-25, 1932), pg. 370
• 82. The Myth of the Court’s Failure, pg. 376
• 83. Back in the Reichsrat—Refusal of Promotion to State Secretary, pg. 380
• 84. Hope and Lull—Stab in the Back—Papen’s Triumph, and Hitler’s, pg. 381
• 85. What Were the Alternatives?, pg. 389
• 86. Reflections on the Responsibilities for Hitler’s Appointment, pg. 392
• 87. How Far Will Hitler Go?, pg. 400
• 88. Hitler in the Reichsrat (February 2, 1933), pg. 406
• 89. Renewed Dismissal of the Prussian Cabinet—Unconstitutional Dissolution of the Landtag (February 6, 1933), pg. 409
• 90. My Dismissal Repeated—The Reichsrat Disemboweled—Braun and Severing Charged with Fraud—The Reichstag Arson (February 27), pg. 412
• 91. Braun Crosses Lake Constance Too Soon—The Elections (March 5, 1933)—Eviction from Our Quarters—Resignation of the Prussian Ministers—The End of Prussia, pg. 421
• 92. From the Enabling Act to One-Party Rule, pg. 425
• 93. Reflections on the Responsibility for Hitler’s Obtaining Total Power, pg. 431
• 94. Personal Fate Amidst Impersonal Disaster—Arrest—Departure from Germany (November 9, 1933), pg. 436
• 95. Role Change in Mid-Life, pg. 446
• 96. Risky Visits to Germany Before the War, pg. 448
• 97. The Death of Gertrud and Ossip (July, 1939), pg. 452
• 98. The United States and Germany: During the War and Shortly After, pg. 455
• 99. Postwar Problems—Germany’s Reunification, pg. 459
• 100. Personal Experiences in the United States, pg. 468
• 101. Science, Practice, and Faith, pg. 482
• EPILOGUE, pg. 495
• APPENDIX, pg. 499
• PUBLICATIONS WITH POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS AFTER 1933 BY ARNOLD BRECHT, pg. 512
• SYNOPSIS OF CHAPTER NUMBERS IN THE GERMAN AND AMERICAN EDITIONS OF THESE MEMOIRS, pg. 518
• INDEX, pg. 521