Larson takes a specific story of one US diplomat and his family as a means of exposing many details of the Nazi rise to power. Through this narrative many answers to the question "how could this happen" are are explored at the ground level. Driving home the point, you can not underestimate the power of fear. And the strong, deep desire for everything to be ok, for the horrible things you see in front of you to not be long-term but instead a temporary problem. These driving forces led to inexplicable silence on the part of those living in Germany and even abroad. The story also sheds light on the anti-semitism and subsequent apathy playing itself out inside the US.
The brutal and cut throat world of politics the Nazis played laid a foundation for the later atrocities played out against the Jews. Once the stage was set for complete conformity to the regime at the risk of death, there was no sound of reason within the party left to question their authority or their final decisions.
"In this new world, the calling card was the crucial currency. The character of an individual's card reflected the character of the individual, his perception of himself, or how he wanted the world to perceive him. The Nazi leadership invariably had the largest cards with the most imposing titles, usually printed in some bold Teutonic font." page 71
"Fromm added, 'There is nobody among the officials of the National Socialist party who would not cheerfully cut the throat of every other official in order to further his own advancement.'" Page 266
Book 55
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