This series discusses some of the major historical topics through a mixture of narrative and analysis of the key issues involved. Each book is designed to introduce the reader to a wide range of contemporary sources and aims to encourage readers in the handling and assessment of original historical material. This particular book traces the development of the Third Reich from the end of the First World War to its collapse in 1945. It begins by examining the Weimar Republic and the reasons why it failed, and goes on to look at the rise of the Nazi party and the appointment of Hitler as Chancellor in 1933. It assesses the consolidation of power by the Nazis in the early 1930s and the development of Nazi social, economic and racial policies up to 1945. The author also covers the fate of the Jews and analyzes the reasons why oppposition to the regime failed. Finally the book examines Hitler's foreign policy and the impact of the Second World War on Germany. The author has also written "Bismarck and Germany (1862-1890) and "The Third Reich."