The Hour of Decision
| 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]
References
- ^ Clark, Victor S. (April 1934). "The Hour of Decision, Part One: Germany and World-Historical Evolution". The Atlantic. Retrieved 24 October 2025.
- ^ Hayes, Carlton J. H. (1934). "Reviewed Work: The Hour of Decision. Part I: Germany and World-Historical Evolution. by Oswald Spengler, Charles Francis Atkinson". Political Science Quarterly. 49 (2): 284–286. doi:10.2307/2142886. JSTOR 2142886.
- ^ Hughes, H. Stuart (1991). Oswald Spengler. Transaction Publishers. p. 131. ISBN 1412830346.
- ^ Weiß, Volker (2024). "Authoritarian cultural identities: understanding the new right in the tradition of Oswald Spengler". Drivers of Authoritarianism: Paths and Developments at the Beginning of the 21st Century. Edward Elgar Publishing. p. 263. ISBN 9781035324705.