The Appeal of Evil: The Moral Collapse of 1920s Germany in “The Story of a German” (Video)

Post-war Germany was a breeding ground for defeatist resentment. Delusions fueled by anger became commonplace, helplessness deepened into apathy, and the country became fertile ground for political opportunists—especially those with a revenge-driven agenda.

Sebastian Haffner describes the emergence of a new force:

“No one would have been surprised if, at the first appearance of this creature, a policeman had grabbed him by the collar and thrown him out of sight and hearing. But since nothing of the sort happened, on the contrary, as the man advanced further and further, behaving more insanely and demonically while gaining fame, the opposite happened: the monster began to attract attention.”

Germany’s collective psyche was unraveling. The immoral spoke of morality, the ignorant preached education, and the traitors proclaimed patriotism.

“It was agonizing to watch as everything deteriorated. On one side, a violent little apostle of intolerance morphed into a demon; on the other, the profound stupidity of his opponents, who always realized a moment too late what he had actually done. Society, as if hypnotized, surrendered with ever-diminishing resistance to the spell of disgust and the allure of evil.”

Haffner, who lived through these years, recalls how Germany had lost its spirit. There was no joy, no kindness, no generosity, only stagnation. Literature withered, and people lost interest in books.

“Hitler promised everything to everyone, attracting a mass of weak-willed, disappointed, and impoverished followers. It is difficult to find anything more absurd than the detached arrogance with which we, myself included, watched the first successes of the Nazi revolution as if from a theater box.”

In “The Story of a German”, Haffner argues that those who voted for the Nazis were not guided by reason but by blind submission to propaganda. Educated people struggled to comprehend the growing insanity, let alone stop it.

“Reality had become mechanical, empty, and lifeless, confirming only the victory of delusion. Madness swept like a flood, eroding reality from all sides.”

Terror, celebrations, betrayal, and finally, collective collapse, this is the madness that one man unleashed upon an entire nation, turning its people into witnesses, victims, and accomplices in the greatest crime of the 20th century.