When the German Reichstag went up in flames on the evening of 27 February 1933, Hitler used the incident to seize power, claiming it was the work of Communists planning a violent uprising.

But who really started the fire? Were the Nazis to blame, or was it the work of lone arsonist Marinus van der Lubbe? This debate has been raging for more than eighty years. The Reichstag Fire seeks to shed light on this pivotal event that changed the course of world history.

Through a thorough and unbiased analysis of original source material, award-winning journalist Sven Felix Kellerhoff charts the outbreak of the fire, the Reich Cabinet's response to the event, Marinus van der Lubbe's repeated confession to the crime, and the far-reaching consequences of the fire.

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Foreword by Roger Moorhouse
• Preface to the English Edition
• Introduction by Hans Mommsen
• 1 The Arson Attack: The Reichstag on fire – was the culprit caught in the act?
• 2 The Fire: Fire-fighting operations, eyewitnesses and first reactions by NSDAP leaders
• 3 The Confession: Marinus van der Lubbe – an arsonist’s biography
• 4 The Consequences: The hunt for communists, the Reichstag Fire Decree and the Enabling Act
• 5 Under Suspicion: Doubts about the Nazis’ version and the campaign from the Parisian exile
• 6 The Trials: The trial in Leipzig and the ‘counter trial’ in London
• 7 The Turning Point: Legends and polemics of the post-war years
• 8 The Counterfeiters: The ‘Luxembourg Committee’ and its purported documents
• 9 The Campaign: Renewed dispute about the perpetrators and more acts of defamation
• 10 The Resolution: The debate – a summary
• Notes
• Sources and Bibliography
• Acknowledgements
• About the Author