Critical Analysis Of Defying Hitler By Sebastian Haffner

In his memoir Defying Hitler, Sebastian Haffner highlights the events and attitudes that eventually lead to the rise of the Nazi regime and the war that would change the world forever. He describes the struggle between and among the powerful forces at the time of his childhood as a duel, waged at the expense of the citizens, which supposed to be protected and cared for above all else. He goes on to describe how the priorities of the ruling powers slowly changed, attempting to hold back the Nazis, while still withholding their own dignity and influence. Haffner’s perspective gives the reader a unique insight into the minds and mentalities of the average German citizen at a time of massive governmental and social change in Europe. He goes on

He even acknowledges his own insignificance in the grand scheme of life, pointing out the tendency of readers to ask “Why should I care about this one man’s struggle when there are others out there who are also suffering?” Later, he describes his attempt to seclude himself from the rest of the world, in order to separate himself as much as possible from the nefarious and heinous wrongdoings of his fellow, more impressionable countrymen. In his description of his personal experiences, from his hope of a better future to his excitement at the prospect of seeing his girlfriend after a long time apart, he also expresses the experiences of others living at the same time. Similar in their tendencies and feelings, all of the people living in Europe at the time more than likely experienced the same urgings and feelings as Haffner did. Towards the end of the book, Haffner describes his being drafted into a training camp made especially for Referendars, judges and lawyers in training. As he receives this message, it seems to disrupt his fantasy of a relatively normal life and pull him away from the life he had so secretively built for himself. He describes the feeling as similar to the motivations behind a temper tantrum, unable to express the anger you feel, other than through physical