"Despite a wealth of literature on the subject, the Nazi tyranny remains difficult to understand and interpret. In Hitler's Tyranny, Ralf Georg Reuth examines ten aspects of Hitler's dictatorship. Looking anew at familiar assumptions, he explores whether anti-Semitism was more pronounced in Germany than elsewhere in Europe; whether Versailles was really responsible for Hitler's rise; and why so many ordinary Germans decided to follow a racial fanatic. The complex picture he paints is of a man propelled to absolute power by a combination of historical forces, chance, brutal coercion, and shrewd manipulation. Eschewing a conventional chronological approach in favour of a forensic analysis of Hitler's actions -- both as chancellor and military commander -- Reuth shifts the focus to the mindset and modus operandi of the dictator himself. The portrait that emerges is one of a murderous fantasist and political opportunist driven by an all-embracing ideology of racial superiority. Reuth's account of Hitler provides a challenging and fascinating counterpoint to much recent mainstream scholarship." -- Book jacket