The event began with words of welcome from the Institute's director, Marie-Laure Salles, who emphasised the importance of the book and its subject in the current political context:

“History doesn't repeat itself, but it does stutter. Les Irresponsables is about the early 1930s, but it's also about today. Reading this book gives us a historian's view of what we can learn from history to understand the present and anticipate the future."
 

The Weimar Republic and the Dangers of “Authoritarian liberalism”

Johann Chapoutot's talk focused on the root causes of the fall of the Weimar Republic in the 1930s. He emphasised the importance of institutional transformations, with the move towards a presidential system that progressively emptied democracy of its substance. He also underlined the importance of the personal interests of an “extreme center” characterised by authoritarian liberalism, which came to see the alliance with the Nazi party and Hitler as the only way to retain power and marginalise or even destroy the left-wing parties. 

Through this history of Germany in the early 1930s, he highlighted the troubling parallels with contemporary political trends, particularly in Europe and the USA, while emphasising the contingent and unnecessary nature of political developments, and the possibility of reacting to current trends. On this subject, he recalled that:

“If the monstrosity being deployed has a technological arsenal incomparable with what Goebbels had at his disposal, on the other hand, we too have means of information, reticulation and solidarity that are incomparable with the activists or citizens of the early 1930s”.
 

An enriching and Engaging Discussion

The exchange was moderated by Professor Davide Rodogno, Professor of History and International Politics at the Institute, who led the discussion on the lessons that history can offer us in the face of today's political challenges.

Interaction with the audience provided an opportunity to delve deeper into questions relating to the role of the media in the rise of extremist ideas, and how citizens can act and mobilise to defend democracy.