 | |
| Author | Oswald Spengler |
|---|---|
| Original title | Jahre der Entscheidung |
| Translator | Charles Francis Atkinson |
| Language | German |
| Publisher | C. H. Beck |
Publication date | 1933 |
| Publication place | Germany |
Published in English | 1934 |
| Pages | 165 |
The Hour of Decision: Germany and World-Historical Evolution (German : Jahre der Entscheidung. Deutschland und die weltgeschichtliche Entwicklung) is a 1933 book by the German writer Oswald Spengler. Spengler argued that Western culture, and its basis in aristocratic social structures, was under serious threat from two directions: "downward" and "outward", with which he meant class and ethnicity. The book was published in English translation by Charles Francis Atkinson in 1934. [1] [2]
The book was heavily criticised by the National Socialists, who came to power shortly before it was published. Johann von Leers condemned it as counter-revolutionary and an expression of "ice-cold contempt for the people". [3] In a 2024 book, the historian Volker Weiß argues that the arguments in the book are typical for the kind of Spenglerian thought the European New Right appreciates. [4]