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Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Tool - Saw gauge, Henry Disston, 1890-1920
Disston Saw Works of Philadelphia was one of the better known and highly regarded manufacturers of handsaws in the United States. During the Machine Age, the company was known as Henry Disston & Sons, Inc. a supplier of industrial saw blades. History: The story of handsaws in the United States mirrors the technical and development of steel in Sheffield, England, which was the center of handsaw production during the 18th century and through most of the 19th century. England's political and economic lock-on steel making in the colonies held American saw makers at bay until well after the Revolutionary War. American steel producers were unable to compete until the US government introduced import tariffs to level the playing field in 1861. Henry Disston: Henry Disston (1819–1878) began his career as an American saw maker in Philadelphia. He had emigrated from England in 1833 and started making saws and squares in 1840. In 1850, he founded the company that would become the largest saw maker in the world, the Keystone Saw Works. Some five years later, Disston built a furnace—perhaps the first melting plant for steel in America and began producing the first crucible saw steel ever made in the United States. While his competitors were buying good steel from Britain, he was making his own, to his specification, for his own needs. Disston subsequently constructed a special rolling mill exclusively for saw blades. Over the following decade, the Disston company continued to grow, even while dedicating itself to the Union Army's war effort. In 1865, when his son Hamilton Disston rejoined the business after serving in the Civil War, Disston changed the company's name to Henry Disston & Son. Henry Disston and his sons began to set the standards for American saw makers, both in terms of producing high-quality saws and files in 1865 through his development of innovative manufacturing techniques. In September 1872, Henry Disston and two other men dug a part of the foundation for what was to become the largest saw manufacturing facility in the world: Disston Saw Works. This was in the Tacony section of Philadelphia. Having previously moved his expanding business from near Second and Market Streets to Front and Laurel Streets. It took over 25 years to move the entire facility to Tacony. Henry Disston was renowned for having one of the first industries that exhibited environmental responsibility, as well as a paternalistic view towards his employees. For example, he had thousands of homes built in Tacony for his workmen. Funds to purchase these homes were made available through a building and loan association set up by the Disston firm. His caring influence on the community was evident in everyday life. To meet employees' cultural needs, a hall and a library were built with Henry Disston agreeing to pay a fixed sum towards its maintenance. The Tacony Music Hall was erected in 1885, also with the assistance of Disston money. Henry Disston had fallen ill by 1877 and never truly recovered; he suffered a stroke and died the next year. This came only one and a half years after seeing his products receive the highest honors at the great Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876. His vision of a working-class community and the completion of the transfer of his enormous saw plant was carried out by his wife and his sons. The company, by the early 20th century, cast the first crucible steel in the nation from an electric furnace in 1906. The firm's armor-plate building near Princeton Avenue and Milnor Street contributed tremendously to the World War II effort. But the company's innovation and industriousness would not last forever. In 1955, with mounting cash-flow problems and waning interest on the family's part to run the firm, Henry Disston and Sons were sold to the H.K. Porter Company of Pittsburgh. Porter's Disston Division was sold in 1978 and became the Henry Disston Division of Sandvik Saw of Sweden. This division was then sold in 1984 to R.A.F. Industries of Philadelphia and became known as Disston Precision Incorporated, a maker of specialized flat steel products. In 2013, R.A.F. Industries sold Disston Precision Inc. in a private sale. Although the company has ceased making Disston handsaws, the Disston brand name still exists in this firm. A tool used to set and sharpen cross cut saws used to fell trees for building construction made by a well known American maker whos firm pioneered the making of saws and their related items including files.combination cross cut saw raker and gauge/jointerDisston USA in the castingflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village -
Federation University Historical Collection
Book, American Institute of Mining Engineers, Transactions of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, Vol 1, 1871-1873
Meetings of the institute were held in Wilkes-Barre, Bethlehem, Troy, Philadelphia, New York, Pittsburgh and Boston.Red hard covered book. Contents include: * List of members * Geological Distribution of MIning Districts in the United States (R.W. Raymond) * The Relation between the Speed and Effectiveness of Stamps (R.W. Raymond) * Remarks on the Waste in Coal-Mining (R. P Rothwell) * An Eccentric Theodolite (Francis Vinton) * The Use ad Advantages of the Prop Srew-Jack (E. Gaijot) * The Manufacture of Iron and Steel Rails ( John B. Pearse) * The importance of Surveying in Geology (Benjamin Smith Lyman) * Use of Blast-Furnace Slag (T. Egleston) * The Geonostical History of Metals (T. Sterry Hunt) * The Mining and Metallurgical Laboratories of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Robert H. Richards) Stamped "Department of Mining University of Melbourne"american institute of mining engineers, mining engineering, prop screw jack, mining districts in the united states of america, waste inn coal mining, lehigh zinc company, lake superior copper districtblast furnace, rolling versus hammering ingots, indianablack coal, pig-iron, longwall system of mining, wickersham process, midlothian colliary, virginia, plummet lamp, diamond drills -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Medal - U.S. NAVY WELCOME SOUVENIR MEDAL, 1908
U.S. Navy Welcome Souvenir Medal: Badge with Australian and United States flags which is inscribed 2*9*08 above and underneath Bendigo Souvenir. Hanging on a rod with white, green and read ribbon with gold bars. The bars are inscribed 'Welcome above and U.S.A Navy below. Box 325numismatics, medals-commemorative, 1908 visit of the american fleet to australia. bendigo welcome. -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Book - LYDIA CHANCELLOR COLLECTION: THE LIFE OF SIR WALTER RALEIGH
... Virginia United States of America American politics Ward & Lock's ...A book titled 'The Life of Sir Walter Raleigh Statesman, Soldier, Traveller and Historian. The typical man of the Elizabethan Age; explorer of Guiana and founder of Virginia; court favourite and political martyr.' London: Ward, Lock & Co., Salisbury Square, E.C. 1 -15pgs. This booklet is one of a series of 53 'Ward & Lock's Penny Books for the People.' 'Biographical Series.' Price one penny. There are also advertisements of note.books, biography, sir walter raleigh, lydia chancellor, collection, sir walter raleigh, the life of sir walter raleigh, person, male, individual, soldier, traveller, historian, penny books, history, guiana, virginia, united states of america, american politics, ward & lock's penny biographies, ward & lock's penny books for the people, biographical series, biographies, penny books, advertisements -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Book - LYDIA CHANCELLOR COLLECTION: THE LIFE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON
A yellow book titled ' The Life of George Washington First President of the United States. The hero of the American War of Independence. A great and distinguished man ; called to the highest position in the State and the Army, and alike admirable in both.' London: Ward, Lock & Co., Salisbury Square, E.C.481 - 496 pgs. This booklet is one of a series of 53 ' Ward & Lock's Penny Books for the People.' 'Biographical Series.' Price one penny. There are also advertisements of note.books, biography, george washington, lydia chancellor, collection, book, books, george washington, american history, ward & lock's penny books for the people, biographical series, male, individual, person, biographies, advertisements, penny books -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Photograph - HARRIS COLLECTION: STEREOSCOPIC VIEWS, Nineteenth Centur
Stereoscopic views. Kilburn Brothers Littleton , N H. 1. Trinity college Dublin. 2. Brooklyn Bridge, scene of the accident , May 30th 1883. 3. Spinning Room , Mechanics Mill, Fall River Mass. 4. Bay Grove Hill, Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, N Y. 5.Crossing the Great Suspension Bridge, by rail. 6. Dining Hall , Grand Union Hotel, Saratoga, Largest Dining Hall in the World. 7. Phantom Leaves. 8. Full Moon. 9. Merced River, Yo-Semite , Cal. 10. I Breathe Inspiration. 11. United States Hotel Park, Saratoga.Kilburn Brothers Littleton N H.photography, viewers -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Textile - MORRIS & YEOMANS ' LACE TABLET: LACE MAKING TABLET KIT
Morris & Yeoman’s ' Lace Tablet - Lace making tablet kit, including 3 x lace tablets and instruction sheet for making Teneriffe Lace - instructions say ' This lace may be used for D’oyleys, afternoon tea cloths and many fancy articles ' - patent applied for in the United States of America - Made complete at our own factory, Astwood Bank, Redditch, England in 3 sizes or set of three in box with pins.’handcrafts, lacemaking equipment, teneriffe lace / morris & yeomans ' lace tablet - / d'oyleys -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Photograph - LA TROBE UNIVERSITY BENDIGO COLLECTION: BENDIGO TEACHERS' COLLEGE STAFF
A black and white photograph of the Bendigo Teachers' College farewell social for Mr. and Mrs. Colin Archibald from the United States. Some people in the photo have been named - Ms. Jessie Burnett, Mrs. Petrie, Ms. D. Hollyoch, Mr. Colin Archibald, Mr. Neil Taylor, Mr. Maurice Pratt and Mr. Len Pryor (Principal). 24th May 1955.bendigo, education, bendigo teachers' college staff, la trobe university bendigo collection, collection, bendigo, education, bendigo teachers' college, bendigo teachers' college staff, ms. j. burnett, mrs. petrie, ms. dulcie holyoch, mr. colin archibald, mr. neil taylor, mr. maurice pratt, mr. len pryor, male, female, tertiary education, teacher training, united states of america -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Document - R.H.ABBOTT. INVITATIONS. 1908, 1908
5 Invitation cards in a display. 1. The ministers of state for the commonwealth of Australia request the pleasure of the company of R.H.S. Abbott at the public reception of Rear Admiral Sperry and the officers, sailors, & marines of the fleet of the united states of America. Sydney. August 1908. 2. Invitations to a theatre parties. Tuesday 25th August 1908. 3. Invitation to Public Reception. Friday 21st August. 1908. 4. Invitation to garden party. State government house. Rose Bay. Wednesday. 26th August 1980 at 3pm. 5. Invitation to Naval & Military review. Monday 24th August 1908 at centennial park. Deframed 2022document, invitations, receptions -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Document - INVITATION TO CR AND MRS J.H CURNOW: AMERICAN NAVAL VISIT RECEPTION, 1925, 31/07/1925
Invitation by the Government of Victoria to Cr & Mrs J H Curnow to a Reception in the Exhibition Building on Friday, 31st July 1925 for the American Naval Visit. Cream coloured Invitation mounted on card. It has scrolls and lamps at each side with ribbon. Behind each lamp are flags, one American and the other with a star on it. Centre top is an emblem with the Southern Cross with a kangaroo above it and a lady on each side. The printing is sepia colour.document, invitations, official celebrations, invitation, american naval visit, cr & mrs j h curnow, united states fleet -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Document - ABBOTT COLLECTION: COLLECTION ABBOTT LEGAL DOCUMENTS, 1937
Eighteen Blue covered legal documents relating to Harold Abbott, seventeen of these are Assignments, transferring the patent rights for the barbed wire from Harold Athelstane Abbott to Richard Hartley Smith Abbott in various countries around the world. The other document is the complete specification for A method and means for manufacturing barbed wire and the like. France, Great Britain, United States of America, Belgium, South Africa, Germany, Czech-Slovakia, Japan, Holland, Canada, Mexico, Argentine, Italy, Sweden, Russia, Poland, Brazil.A.T.Madden Patent Attorneyorganization, business, abbotts, harold athelstane abbott, richard hartley smith abbott, barbed wire -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Document - BILL ASHMAN COLLECTION: CORRESPONDENCE
Light green and red Immigrant Identification Card, United States Department of Labor with the name Richard Hartley Smith Abbott, born in Canada Jan. 12, 1885. Has a 5.6 x 4.6 photo with imprint of stamp at the lower end. Has a brown card cover.sciences, instruments - general, scalebuoy, bill ashman collection - correspondence, richard hartley smith abbott, united states department of labor, robert a rawcliffe -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Document - BILL ASHMAN COLLECTION: CORRESPONDENCE
Permit to Reenter the United States in the name of Richard Hartley Smith Abbott, expires on 11/3/1939. Has a photo of Mr. Abbott in the top left corner with an imprint of Department of Labor. Has USRP printed all over the paper in light blue with patterns of dots as a background.sciences, instruments - general, scalebuoy, bill ashman collection - correspondence, permit to reenter the united states, richard hartley smith abbott -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Document - BILL ASHMAN COLLECTION: CORRESPONDENCE
Typed letter from richard Hartley Smith Abbot, dated 21 February, 1939 seeking an extension of his re-entry permit to the United States.sciences, instruments - general, scalebuoy, bill ashman collection - correspondence, scott's hotel melbourne, richard hartley smith abbott, c s bird, scalebuoy, mariposa, abbott supply company -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Book - THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM ELLERY CHANNING, D.D
A damaged hard covered book titled ''The Complete Works of William Ellery Channing, D.D. New Edition. London and Glasgow, Richard Griffin and Company, 1855. 595 pgs. Written on the inside cover are the words, 'J. Edwards the Yr. Solicitor. 55 Bourke Street West Melbourne. October 1859. A handwritten index has been written on the inside front page.William Ellery Channing, D.D.books, collections, essays, book, books, literature, essays, fiction, non fiction, john milton, napoleon bonaparte, fenelon, english literature, slavery, united states of america, emancipation, christianity, war, religion, infidelity, religion -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Document - BILL ASHMAN COLLECTION: LETTER
Four page carbon copy of a list of shares detailing the shares at £1 each and 5/- each. Mentioned is the countries where the Scalebuoys were used and some of the companies in England, United States, Canada and New Zealand who used them. In Bendigo they could be inspected at the Crown Hotel, Central Nell Gwynne Gold Mine and Hunters Cordial Works. Also mentioned is what Scalebuoys are, What they do, How Scalebuoys Function, Prospects and Sale Purchase Conditions.sciences, instruments-general, scalebuoy, bill ashman collection, victorian scalebuoy company, bendigo electronic process, crown hotel, central nell gwynne gold mine, hunters cordial works, victorian railways, bendigo electronic company -
National Vietnam Veterans Museum (NVVM)
Film - Film, DVD, Australians at war (3 copies)
Copied from televisionvietnam war, 1961-1975 - history, vietnam war, 1961-1975 - united states, montagnard (vietnamese people) -
National Vietnam Veterans Museum (NVVM)
Film - Film, DVD, Vietnam on the Frontline
Copy recorded from the History Channel on Foxtelvietnam war, 1961-1975 - united states -
Women's Art Register
Book, Mary Ann Caws, Rudolf Kuenzli , Gwen Raaberg, Surrealism and Women, 1990
Sixteen illustrated essays by various writers on the works and practice of women surrealists working in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States in the 20th century.Booknon-fictionSixteen illustrated essays by various writers on the works and practice of women surrealists working in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States in the 20th century.surrealism, merit openheim, leonora carrington, valentine hugo, remedios varo, leonor fini, elléouët -
Women's Art Register
Book, Whitney Chadwick, Women, Art and Society, 1990
Illustrated feminist overview of women artists from the Middle Ages to the late 20th century, practising predominantly in Europe, United Kingdom and the United States.Booknon-fictionIllustrated feminist overview of women artists from the Middle Ages to the late 20th century, practising predominantly in Europe, United Kingdom and the United States.painting, sculpture, performance, feminism, collage -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Domestic Object - CLOCK
Small silver metal alarm with large ringer on the top. Roman numerals on clock face. Two small legs on front. Includes second hand. Not in working order.Manufactured by …. New York United States of America. -
Bendigo Historical Society Inc.
Document - THOMAS LANGDON COLLECTION: SOUVENIR INVITATION, 1908
Document. Illuminated Souvenir Invitation to family of Mr. Thomas Langdon to the Public Reception of Rear Admiral Sperry and the Officers, Sailors and Marines of the Fleet of the United States of America, Melbourne August- September 1908.document, memo, souvenir invitation -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, United States Naval Institute, Caviar and commissars : the experiences of a U.S. naval officer in Stalin's Russia, 1983
The experiences of Kemp Tolley, the assistant US naval attache in the Soviet Union from 1942-1944Index, bibliography, ill, p.289.non-fictionThe experiences of Kemp Tolley, the assistant US naval attache in the Soviet Union from 1942-1944military attaches - us - history, world war 1939-1945 - personal narratives -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Robert F Dorr, Phantoms forever, 1987
... - united states - pictorial works A pictorial book of the Phantom ...A pictorial book of the Phantom fighter aircraftill (col), p.128.non-fictionA pictorial book of the Phantom fighter aircraftphantom - fighter plane - history, fighter planes - united states - pictorial works -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Alfred A. Knopf, The great war for civilisation : the conquest of the Middle East, 2005
Reaching back into the long history of invasion, occupation and colonization in the region, Robert Fisk sets forth information in a way that makes clear how a history of injustice "has condemned the Middle East to war." He lays open the role of the West in the seemingly endless strife and warfare in the region, traces the growth of the West's involvement and influence there over the past one hundred years, and outlines the West's record of support for some of the most ruthless leaders in the Middle East. He chronicles the ever-more-powerful military presence of the United States and tracks the consequent, increasingly virulent anti-Western - and particularly anti-American - sentiment among the region's Muslim populationsIndex, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.1107.non-fictionReaching back into the long history of invasion, occupation and colonization in the region, Robert Fisk sets forth information in a way that makes clear how a history of injustice "has condemned the Middle East to war." He lays open the role of the West in the seemingly endless strife and warfare in the region, traces the growth of the West's involvement and influence there over the past one hundred years, and outlines the West's record of support for some of the most ruthless leaders in the Middle East. He chronicles the ever-more-powerful military presence of the United States and tracks the consequent, increasingly virulent anti-Western - and particularly anti-American - sentiment among the region's Muslim populationsmiddle east - history - 20th century, middle east - international involvement - 20th century -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, University of Queensland Press, Vietnam : the Australian dilemma, 1993
Vietnam : the Australian dilemma reveals why Australia entered the Vietnam war, coming to the aid of the United StatesIndex, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.329.Vietnam : the Australian dilemma reveals why Australia entered the Vietnam war, coming to the aid of the United Statesvietnam war 1961-1975 – australian involvement, vietnam war 1961-1975 – history -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, William Collins, Vietnam : an epic tragedy history of a tragic war, 2018
Vietnam became the Western world's most divisive modern conflict, precipitating a battlefield humiliation for France in 1954, then a vastly greater one for the United States in 1975. Max Hastings has spent the past three years interviewing scores of participants on both sides, as well as researching a multitude of American and Vietnamese documents and memoirs, to create an epic narrative of an epic struggle. He portrays the set pieces of Dienbienphu, the Tet offensive, the air blitz of North Vietnam, and less familiar battles such as the bloodbath at Daido, where a US Marine battalion was almost wiped out, together with extraordinary recollections of Ho Chi Minh's warriors. Here are the vivid realities of strife amid jungle and paddies that killed 2 million people. Many writers treat the war as a US tragedy, yet Hastings sees it as overwhelmingly that of the Vietnamese people, of whom forty died for every American. While all the world has seen the image of a screaming, naked girl seared by napalm, it forgets countless eviscerations, beheadings and murders carried out by the communists. The people of both former Vietnams paid a bitter price for the Northerners' victory in privation and oppression. Here is testimony from Vietcong guerrillas, Southern paratroopers, Saigon bargirls and Hanoi students alongside that of infantrymen from South Dakota, Marines from North Carolina, Huey pilots from Arkansas.Index, bibliography, notes, ill, maps, p.722.non-fictionVietnam became the Western world's most divisive modern conflict, precipitating a battlefield humiliation for France in 1954, then a vastly greater one for the United States in 1975. Max Hastings has spent the past three years interviewing scores of participants on both sides, as well as researching a multitude of American and Vietnamese documents and memoirs, to create an epic narrative of an epic struggle. He portrays the set pieces of Dienbienphu, the Tet offensive, the air blitz of North Vietnam, and less familiar battles such as the bloodbath at Daido, where a US Marine battalion was almost wiped out, together with extraordinary recollections of Ho Chi Minh's warriors. Here are the vivid realities of strife amid jungle and paddies that killed 2 million people. Many writers treat the war as a US tragedy, yet Hastings sees it as overwhelmingly that of the Vietnamese people, of whom forty died for every American. While all the world has seen the image of a screaming, naked girl seared by napalm, it forgets countless eviscerations, beheadings and murders carried out by the communists. The people of both former Vietnams paid a bitter price for the Northerners' victory in privation and oppression. Here is testimony from Vietcong guerrillas, Southern paratroopers, Saigon bargirls and Hanoi students alongside that of infantrymen from South Dakota, Marines from North Carolina, Huey pilots from Arkansas.vietnam war 1961-1975 – history, vietnam war 1961-1975 – personal recollections -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Sidgwick and Jackson, Vietnam, the war in the air : a pictorial history of the U.S. air forces in the Vietnam War, Air Force, Army, Navy and Marines, 1985
This book covers US aerial operations from the first entrance of US planes to the evacuation of POW's in 1973Index, ill, maps, p.227.non-fictionThis book covers US aerial operations from the first entrance of US planes to the evacuation of POW's in 1973vietnam war - 1961-1975 - aerial operations - united states, vietnam war - 1961-1975 - history -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Quest Books, War and the soul: Healing our nation's veterans from post-traumatic stress disorder, 2005
Post-traumatic stress disorder increasingly afflicts veterans of modern warfare. To begin healing, says Edward Tick, we must see PTSD as a disorder of identity itself. War's violence can cause the very soul to flee and be lost for life. Drawing on history, mythology, and thirty years of experience, Dr. Tick reveals the universal dimensions of veterans' soul wounding. He uses methods from ancient Greek, Native America, Vietnamese, and other traditions to restore the soul so that the veteran can, at last, truly return home. His work is invaluable for veterans of any war as well as for their families and all who would help themIndex, bibliography, notes, p.329.non-fictionPost-traumatic stress disorder increasingly afflicts veterans of modern warfare. To begin healing, says Edward Tick, we must see PTSD as a disorder of identity itself. War's violence can cause the very soul to flee and be lost for life. Drawing on history, mythology, and thirty years of experience, Dr. Tick reveals the universal dimensions of veterans' soul wounding. He uses methods from ancient Greek, Native America, Vietnamese, and other traditions to restore the soul so that the veteran can, at last, truly return home. His work is invaluable for veterans of any war as well as for their families and all who would help thempost traumatic stress disorder - treatment, veterans - mental health - united states -
Monbulk RSL Sub Branch
Book, Penguin Books, The coming of the Third Reich, 2004
n 1900, Germany was one of modernity's great success stories: The most progressive and dynamic nation in Europe, it was the only country whose rapid economic growth and innovation rivaled that of the United States. Its political culture was far less authoritarian than Russia's and less anti-Semitic than France's. Representative institutions thrived, and competing political parties and elections were a central part of life. How, then, could it be that in little more than a generation this stable modern country would fall into the hands of Adolf Hitler and the violent, racist, extremist political movement he led, a movement that would lead Germany and then all of Europe into utter moral, physical, and cultural ruin?" "There is no story in twentieth-century history more important to understand, and Richard Evans has written the definitive account for our time. A masterful synthesis of a vast body of scholarly work integrated with important new research and interpretations, Evans's history restores drama and contingency to the rise to power of Hitler and the Nazis, even as he shows how ready Germany was by the early 1930s for such a takeover to occur. Its citizens were angry and embittered by military defeat and economic ruin, and its young democracy undermined by a civil service, an army, and a law enforcement system deeply alienated from the new order. The electorate was beset by growing extremism and panic about communism; and the small but successful Jewish community was subject to wide-spread suspicion and resentment. In the end, though nothing about what happened was preordained, Germany proved to be fertile ground for Nazism's ideology of hatred.Index, bibliography, ill, maps, p.335.non-fictionn 1900, Germany was one of modernity's great success stories: The most progressive and dynamic nation in Europe, it was the only country whose rapid economic growth and innovation rivaled that of the United States. Its political culture was far less authoritarian than Russia's and less anti-Semitic than France's. Representative institutions thrived, and competing political parties and elections were a central part of life. How, then, could it be that in little more than a generation this stable modern country would fall into the hands of Adolf Hitler and the violent, racist, extremist political movement he led, a movement that would lead Germany and then all of Europe into utter moral, physical, and cultural ruin?" "There is no story in twentieth-century history more important to understand, and Richard Evans has written the definitive account for our time. A masterful synthesis of a vast body of scholarly work integrated with important new research and interpretations, Evans's history restores drama and contingency to the rise to power of Hitler and the Nazis, even as he shows how ready Germany was by the early 1930s for such a takeover to occur. Its citizens were angry and embittered by military defeat and economic ruin, and its young democracy undermined by a civil service, an army, and a law enforcement system deeply alienated from the new order. The electorate was beset by growing extremism and panic about communism; and the small but successful Jewish community was subject to wide-spread suspicion and resentment. In the end, though nothing about what happened was preordained, Germany proved to be fertile ground for Nazism's ideology of hatred.germany - politics and government 1933-1939, germany - nazi party