From Craftsmen to Capitalists: German Artisans from the Third Reich to the Federal Republic, 1939-1953 (Monographs in German History Book 37)

Politically adrift, alienated from Weimar society, and fearful of competition from industrial elites and the working class alike, the independent artisans of interwar Germany were a particularly receptive audience for National Socialist ideology. As Hitler consolidated power, they emerged as an important Nazi constituency, drawn by the party’s rejection of both capitalism and Bolshevism. Yet, in the years after 1945, the artisan class became one of the pillars of postwar stability, thoroughly integrated into German society. __From Craftsmen to Capitalists__ gives the first account of this astonishing transformation, exploring how skilled tradesmen recast their historical traditions and forged alliances with former antagonists to help realize German democratization and recovery. "Politically adrift, alienated from Weimar society, and fearful of competition from industrial elites and the working class alike, the independent artisans of interwar Germany were a particularly receptive audience for National Socialist ideology. As Hitler consolidated power, they emerged as an important Nazi constituency, drawn by the party's rejection of both capitalism and Bolshevism. Yet, in the years after 1945, the artisan class became one of the pillars of postwar stability, thoroughly integrated into German society. From Craftsmen to Capitalists gives the first account of this astonishing transformation, exploring how skilled tradesmen recast their historical traditions and forged alliances with former antagonists to help realize German democratization and recovery; 'Among historians, German Handwerker have typically been treated only in terms of their presumed Nazi sentiments or persistent economic backwardness. This extensively researched, well-written volume shows that these artisans were neither exclusively reactionary in their politics nor cynically sacrificed by the Nazis at the altar of the war economy'--Jay Lockenour, Temple University; 'This is an impressive study that bears directly upon important scholarly debates. McKitrick's sympathy for the plight of tradespeople in a rapidly changing society is palpable, and he rightly handles their history with a due consideration of its complexity, rather than treating them as reactionary caricatures'--Perry Biddiscombe, University of Victoria"--Publisher's website CONTENTS TABLES AND FIGURES ACKNOWLEDGMENTS PREFACE NOTE ON THE HANDWERK TRADES ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS Part I Handwerk in Crisis, 1918–1933 Chapter 1 FROM ZÜNFTE TO NAZISM German Handwerk to 1939 Part II Handwerk at War, 1939–1945 Chapter 2 HANDWERK IN THE WAR ECONOMY, 1939–1941 Chapter 3 THE SPEER MINISTRY, 1942–1945 The Coordination of Industry and Handwerk Part III The Occupation Period, 1945–1949 The Confrontation with the American Free Market Chapter 4 THE FIRST STAGES OF THE OCCUPATION AND THE REVIVAL OF HANDWERK INSTITUTIONS IN THE WEST Chapter 5 THE LEGAL CONSOLIDATION OF HANDWERK CORPORATISM IN THE BRITISH ZON Chapter 6 DEVELOPMENTS IN THE US ZONE LEADING UP TO THE INTRODUCTION OF GEWERBEFREIHEIT Chapter 7 THE ROLE OF ORGANIZATION AND LEADERSHIP IN THE MODERNIZATION OF HANDWERK Part IV The Early Federal Republic, 1949–1953 Revolution in the German Mittelstand Chapter 8 THE EFFECTS OF GEWERBEFREIHEIT ON HANDWERK Chapter 9 THE INTEGRATION OF HANDWERK ORGANIZATIONS INTO THE POLITICAL FABRIC OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC Chapter 10 CHANGES IN THE STRUCTURE AND OUTLOOK OF HANDWERK Chapter 11 THE HANDWERK ACT OF 1953 Conclusion REVOLUTION IN HANDWERK? BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX As Hitler consolidated power, German artisans emerged as an important Nazi constituency, drawn by the party's rejection of both capitalism and Bolshevism. Yet, after 1945, they became one of the pillars of postwar stability. This volume gives the first account of this astonishing transformation...