Why did all the hopes at the end of the First World War fade so rapidly in its immediate aftermath? Why was there such massive social, economic and political turmoil? Yet why, during the postwar traumas, did communism and fascism not gain power more widely, while democracy survived – not least in Germany? And what were the prospects for continued peace at the end of these turbulent years? This lecture by Sir Ian Kershaw, widely considered the worlds leading expert on Nazi Germany, will attempt to provide some answers.