Boston, Massachussets, US
Posts: 7
Reflection on the failure of the Wiemar Republic
I believe that history does in fact rhyme meaning that the past does have similarities to the future. I believe that this is because us as people are all very alike although we are all very different people. Although people have made horrible choices in the past does not mean that we as people are necessarily less likely to make these same mistakes in the future. This connects to some of the theories that we learned at the beginning of the year such as the mass society theory or the theory of conformity. These theories connect to the fact that all of us as humans have the desire to go along with the group or conform. For example the Nazi movement which was led by adolf Hitler was one of the worst atrocities that ever happened but he was not the only one who took part in the wrong. The people that worked along side him as leaders, generals, or soldiers were all apart of this movement, and were all in the wrong but I do believe that many of them were or would be against what was going on but connecting back to the Mass society theory they were extremely encouraged to conform with the group. These past mistakes of horrible actions towards the Jewish people may not have been repeated on as large of a scale since then but similar horrible actions have been taken place towards a group of people since then. While the world today is definitely not a repeat of the Weimar republic there are certain rhymes that are somewhat comparable such as the poverty,lack of trust in government, and cultural insecurity in ways that are similar to Germany between 1919 and 1933. However the government in the United States today holds much stronger values compared to Germany, and I do not think that anything like that could ever happen in the United States today.Although the government is not always perfect in society´s around the world today I believe that the people now have learned from the mistakes of the past and can hopefully move forward from the past mistakes that were made during the Weimar Republic.
Dorchester Center, MA, US
Posts: 7
I believe that history does in fact rhyme, especially for the Weimar Republic. What the Weimar Republic did to govern themselves acts as a very dire reminder to both the United States of America, and the rest of the world. When very powerful, extreme, and divided branches of government are allowed to fight for power, it leaves the country vulnerable to deception and manipulation. The more divided and extreme the governments get, the more damage done to the people of that nation. However, I do not believe that the United States should be compared to the Weimar Republic, just not at the extreme level. Christine Adams from Time Magazine discusses in her article, Why People Should Stop Comparing the U.S. to Weimar Germany,
how truly fragile and stubborn the Weimar and post Weimar government was, “the Social Democrats were engaged in bitter infighting with the rapidly growing Communist Party, which made it impossible for the left to hold out against an invigorated and extremist right. The country was so polarized that no viable cross-ideological political coalition was possible, and the political center shrank rapidly as the extreme right and left expanded. Many resigned themselves to the end of a democratic regime that didn’t seem to be working.” The Weimar Republic was a very radical government where other parties saw their opponents as the true enemy. They believed that they had nothing in common with the other, and that they could never agree. In America, our parties sometimes agree on certain policies and laws and vote together, although this has been severely lacking in recent years. America is seeming to become more and more divided each day, and if our government does not stop using the other party as the complete opposite of theirs, we will have a similar fate as the Weimar Republic. We need to come together as a country and stop the aggression for each other. Every person will have disagreements with one another, but we must respect that, and find similarities in ourselves and work together. WIthout this, we will end up with a divided, weak, and manipulated government that can quickly and easily turn into a dictatorship.
Dorchester, Massachusetts, US
Posts: 7
Yes, I agree that history does rhyme because no matter how many mistakes are made throughout there will always be similarities of history from the past and present. I think that mistakes are made but usually they are never repeated because people fix them or just based on the situation they would not happen again. Events from the past definitely have similarities to the present even if they are not the exact same because there can be situations or events where the same type of thing happens but it happens differently than it did the first time. There can be a variety of things that reoccur but in different ways between the past and the present of history. History is known for its past and its present and to then be compared to each other based on the similarities and differences they share. I think that it does rhyme with America today, even though it's not at the same points as it has been in the past, but there are definitely similarities that have been made. The Weimar Republic was a time after World War 1, which was very chaotic and insane. Although we aren’t in a time where we are experiencing events like this, we are dealing with major issues in the world that can have a mirror to Germany.
There are rhymes between the Weimar Republic and our present day such as media misinformation. During the Weimar Republic, the Nazis effectively used propaganda to shape public opinions and to create enemies. And today social media can reflect on misinformation, which is a similar role to propaganda. Propaganda uses social media misinformation as a primary method to achieve the goal of manipulating public opinion and directing certain behavior toward a situation. Social media platforms have increased the effectiveness of propaganda by enabling the widespread communication of misleading and false information towards the world. Social media is the key for misleading information because people and platforms post information that could be true or could not be true and they automatically believe it's right. If one person or platform says something, then that will continue to be the topic of what other people are saying and then people mix up wording, which gets to the point of misinformation that causes chaos and arguments. Comparing today to Weimar Germany helps us determine signs such as economic and political issues.
boston, Massachusetts, US
Posts: 7
Originally posted by
987654321 on November 11, 2025 20:56
History does rhyme. The saying that history repeats itself isn’t true, but it does have rhythm due to having some similarities. It is difficult for history to repeat itself because society learns from prior mistakes. These earlier tragedies and collapse of nations act as warnings for the present day. Between the Weimar Republic and the present day today, both experienced instability through inflation and unemployment. The Weimar Republic had to pay back reparations due to the damages of World War I which caused inflation to rise for society’s everyday life and unemployment rose. This difficult aspect of the Weimar Republic compares to our present day because of the Covid pandemic. Despite the pandemic ending recently, the US still faces inflation. Germany between 1919 and 1933 also felt the need for an authoritarian style of government with a strong leader and an overall strong sense of national pride. In the present day now, in a time of tension and opposing views going against each other, there is sometimes a stronger sense of nationalism. In the University of Essex blog, “The ghosts of Weimar: is Weimar Germany a warning from history,” it discusses the key differences between Weimar Germany and present day. It talks about how after the devastation of the war, Germany introduced a completely new political system of democracy. The blog makes a good point that in this case, Weimar Germany is very different from present day governing. Another point brought up in the article, “Weimar America,” brings up the fact that America has the largest economy and recovered from the Great Recession and has an extremely strong military and this was something Weimar didn’t have during its time. It was extremely difficult for their economy to recover, even with attempts to recover and fight inflation with the Dawes Plan. The Treaty of Versailles hurt Germany badly and they lost large amounts of money and important resources. Others attempt to make the direct correlation between society today and Germany between 1919 and 1933 because learning about the instability, tension, and constant fear in Weimar Germany can be seen as similar to today with tensions growing and some have fears about the future of society of today because of political figures and government.
I agreed in my response as I also said that History rhymes. However, we had different viewpoints on this as I wrote that history doesn't repeat itself since events can never be surrounded by the same circumstances while you brought up the interesting point that people and society learn from past mistakes. Many people brought across a lot of posts that brought up these ideas and important views on Weimar Germany and modern day America. I like how your post focused on both similarities and differences, highlighting how the circumstances surrounding Germany were particular to the country. You used the articles to bring up a comparison between the current economic state of America and the economics of the Weimar republic as well as a comparison between the government strengths. I like the point you brought up about the Treaty of Versailles and it's not comparable to modern day America. You could improve your post by going into depth in your analysis of the articles. You could also improve your points by expanding further and wrapping it all up in the end. Specifically it would be great if you expanded on the "fears about the future of society of today." But other than that your response was very good and brought up crucial points!
Boston, Massachusetts , US
Posts: 7
There is a correlation between history and the present, history does rhyme with today's world. In history for example, antisemitism was caused by deep rooted hatred for Jewish people in Germany, due to different religious beliefs . In the post war economy people blamed Jewish people for the economic fall of Germany. Then into World War 2, when the hatred turned into mass deaths and genocide. Throughout World War 2, Jewish people were belittled and it was normalized. Calling them rats, dehumanizing them in every way imaginable until it was at a point that they could not ever be perceived like everyone else because they were completely separated from everyone else. Post war and post genocide it was a harsh subject to talk about, but antisemetic beelfids never went away. People still make small jokes about Jewish people, such as stereotypes, appearances, micro aggressions and downplaying their history and culture. However, it is also notable to say that these aggressions towards people of different beliefs and ethnicities is limited to only Jewish people, and that ties into today's world. In today's society, similar to the economic depression, there is an influx in taxes and families are suffering. While at the same time there is bias against certain racial groups and they are being attacked and forcefully moved by someone with power. Today's deportations and abuse towards certain races is unjust and irrational. However, people are saying it is similar to the holocaust, where millions of people were brought to camps, stripped of all of their identity, reduced to numbers and killed in brutal, unimaginable ways. In ways, such as the abuse of power, and unjust outcomes for people because of a certain aspect of their identity, is comparable to the holocaust. However, the masses of what is happening today, versus the millions of people in Germany, is incomparable. I also think that by comparing today's world to what happened in the holocaust, it takes away from the emphasis on the significance of the damage the whole cause caused to not only millions of people in Germany, but the rest of the world.
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Posts: 7
reflections on the failure of the Weimar Republic
I think that yes, history does in fact rhyme. Events from the past definitely have similarities to the present, regardless of technical and societal changes. Humans are prone to making the same mistakes, and authoritarian governments have come and gone throughout history, even though former governments failed. The decisions of singular people is similar to how history repeats itself, as even though we know certain crimes are wrong, people continue to do them, which is similar to how modern governments repeat the mistakes of past governments.
I think that between the Weimar republic and the modern day United States, there is a similar emphasis on avant garde art, and emphasis on the bourgeoisie. In modern day America, the upper class have dominated most culture and economics, similar to the Weimar years. Although it is not as drastic, inflation in modern America has risen, not to the degree of the Weimar years, but enough to make many necessities unattainable to people with lower incomes. Disillusionment from real issues also connects to both America and the Weimar Republic, as the government and upper class focus on smaller issues rather than what matters to the majority and the average person. I do think that the dramatic classism, nihilism, inflation, and avant garde art of the Weimar years was more a result of the brutality and instability during and after the first world war, whereas in modern America, it has been more of a slow descent into our current state. Modern day Nihilism is much different to the intense shape it took during the Weimar years, which was definitely a result of World War I brutality, and was often described by veterans who were traumatized during the war. I think many other nations more closely reflect Weimar culture and society. Nations and people that experience violence and war firsthand reflect Weimar society more closely, as there is often widespread classism and inflation, and writers more closely connect to Weimar age nihilism than American authors do.
Dorchester Center, MA, US
Posts: 7
Originally posted by
bigdah7 on November 10, 2025 11:22
I feel that history does rhyme sometimes, there are often events that seem like history repeats itself but often with different words, so to speak. For example we can see examples of rhyming in genocides, such as the Holocaust being inspired by the Armenian genocide. There are examples of wars such as the second Gulf War, similar to the partition of China in the 1800s. Many countries supported the invasion because of its immense resources, as Iraq had much oil, and Iraq could threaten Saudi Arabia, the largest producer of oil in the world. In general I hope history doesn’t repeat itself, but it is very possible that it could repeat or rhyme.
There are many different rhymes to explore between the US today and the Weimar republic. Specifically, the immense political chaos. America has never been the country with the most political violence, specifically on politicians in positions of power. For example, in my lifetime, there has never been an attempt on the life of the president, or one that was very close to succeeding, but in the last year there has been two, along with the killing of a member of the House of Representatives, for their views. And the killing of people for their opinions seems to have been the norm. The same occurred in Weimar Germany. I wrote about how much political violence occurred, the starving people often resorted to violence to enact change. In my visual essay, I wrote about how there were a number of coalitions and parties split on many lines, leading to much division in the Republic, very similar to today. In the US today there are two main parties in the, and the country seems fractured on party lines. Finally, there was the scapegoating of Jewish people which people used to blame the condition of Germany after WW1. There was so much antisemitism in Germany that many Jews left for their own safety.The US also has a scapegoat for the state of the country, immigrants. They are blamed for taking the jobs of Americans, and making the economy worse. The US in general blames minorities for the current condition of the country. Finally there is also very prevalent antisemitism because of controversy with the state of Israel and their actions.
I found this piece of writing very compelling and interesting, and I agree with you on many of your points and topics. First off, your connection to the second Gulf War and the Partition of China opened my eyes, and made me realize that this is truly happening across the globe every single day. Also your point about Iraq and its invasion, and how many countries supported it due to the threat of Saudi Arabia was very mind opening. The fact is that killing people because of their opinions is growing is becoming increasingly and increasingly more common by the day. The Weimar Republic should serve as a constant and dire reminder of the consequences of a dictatorship and how strict and cruel society can become under their rule. When you said, “Finally, there was the scapegoating of Jewish people which people used to blame the condition of Germany after WW1. There was so much antisemitism in Germany that many Jews left for their own safety.The US also has a scapegoat for the state of the country, immigrants. They are blamed for taking the jobs of Americans, and making the economy worse.”, it really struck me that America can easily end up like the Weimar, and we must all come together to stop this from happening.
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Posts: 7
Originally posted by
applebeesandthesevenseas on November 11, 2025 17:31
Psychoanalyst Theodor Reik has a famous saying stating how rather than repeating itself history “rhymes”. This is a very suitable expression as the actions and reactions of humans can be very similar even over many years, creating history that reflects these patterns of human behavior. But what is special about Reik’s words is the consideration for the individuality of events in history. No events are ever exactly the same, and each part of history should be analyzed alongside the many diverse factors that may be affecting it. As of recently in America there has been a lot of comparison between the current state of the country and the Weimar Republic. Unfortunately our country does reflect many aspects portrayed during the Weimar Republic. Most notably is the increase in polarization in the United States. Republicans and Democrats have been holding more and more opposing views without attempting to understand opposing viewpoints. Most democrats and republicans won't even speak, let alone listen to each other. As a more prominent Left and a more prominent Right grow in politics it is easily comparable to political parties of Germany in the 1920s and early 1930s. While working on my project it was clear how polarized the country became during the Weimar years, with action on the streets and extremist views. The antisemitism during these years can also be compared to the current abuse of ICE in America against many immigrants, often being violent and uncalled for. These programs often attack Hispanics, and hate or judgment is clear in the media with immigrants being referred to as “aliens.” This separation of a group was present in the Weimar years with people placing blame on Jewish people. Working alongside the media showed how antisemitism was reflected through art and cartoons with Jewish individuals often being portrayed as dirty and deceptive. It is also important to keep in mind that the parallels between modern America and Weimar Germany are deeper than they may appear with focus often being on the wrong details.The writer Eric Weitz explains this in his article Weimar America?, “Weimar Germany did not collapse under the weight of its various crises. It was actively destroyed by a conservative elite – noble landowners, high-level state officials, businessmen, army officers – that chose to ally with the Nazi Party. As we watch the Republican establishment’s ineffectual flailing to stop Donald Trump, it’s worth remembering that Weimar Germany’s old-style conservatives never really liked Hitler and the Nazis either.” This further emphases the importance of looking not solely at the big events but at the more hidden bits of human behavior that lead to said actions. It is important to draw parallels from events and compare them, but directly relating them is another thing. Weimar Germany and modern America have many things in common, but they are not exactly the same and history will not be exactly the same for both countries. As stated by Professor Benjamin Ziemann and Dr Nadine Rossol in The ghosts of Weimar: is Weimar Germany a warning from history? “Like other periods, the Weimar Republic should be understood within the specific constellations of its time and without letting the knowledge of hindsight cloud our judgement.”
I strongly agree with the point that no events are the exact same and that every event is affected by different factors. Also the point about Republicans and Democrats and how opposed they are leads to people thinking there is a reflection between the Weimar Republic and today. These different viewpoints are so strongly opposed that people don’t even want to listen to each other. In the analysis of the article, “Weimar America?”, it is a strong point that it is important to understand the smaller factors of human behavior and actions and how they contribute to the larger catastrophic event. By knowing these smaller factors and educating people about the cause of events, society can prevent this from happening again. By directly relating events and comparing them when one is much more tragic than another, takes away from the tragedy and can make it seem less. As a society, we should be learning from history and educate ourselves about the causes and consequences in order to ensure it does not happen again. Another good point was about how the Weimar Republic should be learned about and understood without making comparisons in risk of downplaying the tragic events of the Weimar Republic.
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Posts: 7
Originally posted by
123456 on November 12, 2025 13:59
I am a firm believer that history does rhyme. It is for this reason that I am so interested in the subject. I think that disastrous times in history like the Nazi regime come as a result of many small mistakes or missteps, and it is for this reason that it is so important to educate ourselves on past events. Historical accounts are made not just with the purpose of remembrance but also to educate and remind. I think that often, those seeking power look back in history to draw from others who have been successful. For example, throughout history many have attempted to recreate the power and vastness of the Roman empire, right down to its name and the name of its greatest leader, Caesar. Certainly human patterns play a large role in this as well. Certain archetypes of people are more likely to be able to come into power and play large roles in the course of history. One extremely recent example of rhymes in history are the presidencies of Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan. Both held almost cult followings among the right, and were able to almost charm their way into office as a result of their celebrity status and charismatic TV personalities. Trump draws from Reagan’s slogan “Make America Great” and his policies of tariff implementation as well. History does in fact rhyme, but not coincidentally. Whether consciously or unconsciously, patterns from the past reemerge.
The largest similarity that I see between modern America and the Weimar republic is that general dissatisfaction with leadership in the country has led the political spectrum to become very extreme. There are a variety of factors in America, such as racial tension and tension between classes, which has led to this dissatisfaction, and these factors are far less obvious than those of the Weimar republic. However, one can draw many comparisons in their effects. The emergence of a charismatic leader that promises the solution to the country’s problem. They fly in the face of the law, but under the guise of patriotism. Their followers are so fanatically obsessed that they purposefully avoid the truth, even when it is right in front of them. Details are not the same, but trends are.
Post your response here.
The response has a really compelling argument about the cynical nature of history and how patterns of human behavior and leadership styles reappear across time. Your argument on why “history rhymes” is very powerful and it captures how societies often make similar mistakes but in new circumstances. I definitely agree with your point that disastrous regimes, like Nazy Germany, come from a buildup of smaller missteps. This insight underscores why studying history is so important and being able to recognize and prevent those gradual declines before they spiral.
Your comparison between the Weimar Republic and modern day America is very interesting. The parallel of political polarization and the rise of charismatic leaders who often exploit people’s fears and dissatisfactions feels very relevant. I liked your connection between Reagan and Trump, which highlights how political figures borrow from the past to shape their image and policies.
One area that could be developed more is clarifying how the human archetypes you mentioned can influence these historical cycles. Maybe giving a brief example beyond political leaders could be really impactful.
I think overall your post was very insightful and you showed through many examples and arguments that historical awareness is important in highlighting modern political trends. To be able to prevent these “smaller missteps” you mentioned could be crucial especially in this day in age where a lot of institutions are being attacked.
Allston, Massachusetts, US
Posts: 6
Yes, events in the present do have similarities as it did in the past even if they’re not exactly the same. Expecting the past to not repeat itself is more unrealistic than saying that history doesn’t repeat itself at all. Since we can observe the affects from afar and from a more critical and rational lens it can even make that cause and effect stronger than it was before. Since we know the flaws of the ideology and what we can do to convince ourselves and others that the movement is different and better because it has a different goal. However, the process of which we reach that goal has strong resemblance to something that happened earlier in history. In my opinion, there are similarities between the Weimar period and what it’s like in the US now but the Weimar period is significantly more intense. It’s unfair to compare these two since the US is unlikely to be put in the same position as Germany because it is a leading world power. Additionally, the conditions of the Weimar period were a direct consequence of a genocide which, the US has not experienced and if it did, it wouldn’t be held accountable to the same standards. The similarities that the US is experiencing such as inflation, but many people still have access to food, luxuries, and expenses that didn’t even exist everyday without worry while in the weimar period middle class citizens were starving and struggling to even stay afloat. I’m sure someone can argue that we’re going down the same road, but as of right now there aren’t any significant similarities. Another similarity is that many Americans are beginning to distrust their government due to the instability and lack of resources for those in need. Lower class citizens are having rights taken away from them as well as their government aid support. The Weimar republic also experienced mass amounts of trauma carried home by soldiers. While trauma and mental health issues do still exist in the US, it doesn’t compare to the numbers in Germany after WWI. To compare the US now where many people still live comfortably and Germans during the Weimar period is in my opinion is a sign of insensitivity to how difficult it was to reconcile with the post war period.
Dorchester, Massachusetts, US
Posts: 7
Originally posted by
GreenBlock0213 on November 12, 2025 21:10
Theodor Reik’s idea that history rhymes rather than repeats makes sense because events rarely happen in exactly the same way, but they often share patterns. In my visual essay, I showed how Weimar art reflected both freedom and fragility. Posters and political cartoons captured a society full of creativity but also weighed down by the economic crisis. Looking at others’ essays reinforced this point: one classmate highlighted how democracy weakens when people lose trust in it. These examples show that history rhymes by repeating themes of instability and division, even if the details change. History is useful because these patterns help us understand human behavior. While the circumstances of each time are unique, the echoes remind us that societies often face similar struggles. Reik’s idea encourages us to see history as a guide rather than a script, showing us how people respond to crises and how fragile democracy can be when trust fades. All this illustrates that using past events can serve as a helpful blueprint or foundation for the present and future, but shouldn’t be the only thing taken into account. The Weimar Republic faced deep economic problems, political fragmentation, and the rise of extremist movements that weakened trust in democracy. Today, there are echoes of these challenges, though the situations are not identical. Polarization and frustration with government often create openings for radical voices, and misinformation spreads quickly online, making it harder to agree on basic facts. In my own visual essay, I noted how satire in Weimar tried to resist propaganda, which reminded me of how modern memes and political cartoons push back against false narratives now. At the same time, historians like Eric Weitz caution against treating Weimar as a direct blueprint for the present. He points out that America today is not in economic collapse and has stronger institutions than Germany did in the 1920s. The real lesson is about agency, Weimar did not simply collapse under crisis, it was actively undermined when conservative elites made extremist politics acceptable in polite society. That pattern feels familiar, since moderates today sometimes legitimize radical movements by treating them as normal or tolerable. The rhyme, then, lies less in identical conditions and more in recurring themes of polarization, inequality, misinformation, and the danger of mainstream actors enabling extremes. These similarities serve as warnings, reminding us that democracy depends on the choices of citizens and leaders, and that vigilance is needed to prevent history’s rhymes from becoming repeated.
As I read the first sentence of my peers' response, I automatically see that we agree that history rhymes and that “events rarely happen in the same way, but they often share patterns.” I agree with all my peers most and we actually talked about a couple of the same things for comparing the past and the present. Me and my peer both talked about propaganda and misinformation. In my peers' posts they said “misinformation spreads quickly online, making it harder to agree on basic facts,” which I completely agree with because information can be so misinterpreted when it comes to social media and then goes into complete chaos. I think this idea is interesting because people go based on what other people have to say and that continues no matter if the information is wrong or right, which is not a good thing. I also found it interesting in peoples projects how when they were talking about the aspect of art, they talked about the creativity that came along with it and how everything had their own meanings to it. In my peers' response they reflected how “Weimar art reflected both fragility and freedom. Posters and political cartoons captured a society full of creativity but also weighed down by economic crisis,” which is interesting because art can say so much even in a simple portrait but it can be seen in many different perspectives based on how the world sees it overall.
