overthrowing democracy desperately needs to read the great memoir of Ernst von Salomon , Der Fragebogen , published in English as The Answers but better translated as The Questionnaire . (The title is a reference to the denazification questionnaires which all Germans seeking any responsible postwar position had to complete.) Salomon, who despite his name was not Jewish (though his wife was) was never a Nazi. He was, however, a hardcore nationalist, and not just any hardcore nationalist: he was a member of the notorious post- Freikorps death squad, Organisation Consul , and personally involved in the assassination of Rathenau , for which he served time. (If it's any defense, he was 19, and his role was limited to procuring the getaway car.) He was also a brilliant writer who made a living turning out movie scripts - before, during, and after the Third Reich. A good comparison is Ernst Jnger , also wonderfully readable if a little more abstruse. Der Fragebogen is a gloriously-fresh introduction to the world of Weimar, which most of us have encountered only from the liberal side. If you have trouble understanding how Nock could sympathize with the destruction of Weimar while abhorring Hitlerism, von Salomon is your man. The opening alone is a work of genius: MILITARY GOVERNMENT OF GERMANY: FRAGEBOGEN WARNING: Read the entire Fragebogen carefully before you start to fill it out. The English language will prevail if discrepancies exist between it and the German translation. Answers must be typewritten or printed