The German Working Class, 1888-1933

by Sir Richard J. Evans FBA FRSL FRHistS

First published 1982

This scholarly work examines German working-class life from Kaiser Wilhelm II's rise in 1888 through Hitler's ascent in 1933. Evans documents how ordinary workers responded to bourgeois social rules, government authority, and legal systems across two distinct political eras. The study reveals workers who engaged in factory sabotage and workplace theft as forms of resistance. It explores their drinking culture, attitudes toward unmarried mothers, and the violent youth gangs that roamed Berlin streets before Nazi control. Evans presents fresh research into daily experiences that shaped working-class identity during these pivotal decades. The book shows how workers navigated both the rigid German Empire and the unstable Weimar Republic, offering readers insight into the social forces that preceded Germany's darkest chapter.

Genres: history, 20th-century, non-fiction, academic

Vibes: intimate, scholarly, thought-provoking

Tropes: historical-perspective, social-commentary

Setting: Germany, Berlin

Period: 1888-1933

259 pages · Hardcover · Barnes & Noble Imports

More by Sir Richard J. Evans FBA FRSL FRHistS

• The Third Reich at War
• The German Bourgeoisie (Routledge Revivals)
• Cosmopolitan Islanders
• The Third Reich in Power, 1933 - 1939
• The Third Reich in History and Memory
• The Hitler Conspiracies

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