The Politics of Hate: Anti-Semitism, History, and the Holocaust in Modern Europe

by John Weiss

Book Overview

For educated and tolerant Westerners, it is extremely difficult to imagine the dangerous power that anti-Semitism has enjoyed in modern Europe and impossible to grasp how it could have led to the unique horrors of the Holocaust. To study the origins and history of anti-Semitism by itself helps little. To fully grasp the dangerous potential of racism we must also know the relationships between the fantasies of the anti-Semites and the long-term historical...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 156663492X
• ISBN13: 9781566634922
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Ivan R. Dee Publisher
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.7" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

An excellent analysis of Anti-Semitism in Europe.

The book is well-balanced and easy-to-understand exploration on Anti-Semitism in Europe, especially in Germany, Austria, Poland, France and Italy. In the opening chapter, the author points five origins of Anti-Semitism, that is, confrontation with Christianity, commercial reasons, denunciations of Jewish liberal and progressive movements, (biased) influences of Anthropology (Eugenics), and ethnic nationalism; however, the author offers an excellent account of the histrical process of Anti-Semitism from late nineteenth century to th Holocaust. It is also interesting that the author explains why and how Anti-Semitism made a difference among countries mentioned-above; what seems to be the most significant is the reasons why only in Italy Anti-Semitism did not prevail. Far from any prejudice, a very lucid work!