Abstract: Defying Hitler, written in 1938-1940 and published posthumously in 2001, is the first and most famous work by Sebastian Haffner but it is only the first part of a larger body of work devoted to understanding and explaining the German catastrophe. ‘Why Germany ?’ asks Haffner. Or, put another way, what is the bearing of the ‘singular national tradition’ on Nazism ? Haffner’s remarkably prescient insight into the nature of the Nazi regime and its consequences in Defying Hitler was treated in greater depth and from differing perspectives in various books published between 1940 and 1987. Despite its focus on German history and culture, his work is a major contribution towards a comprehensive understanding of the totalitarian era. The title of this article is inspired by the article by Raymond Aron, ‘Is There a Nazi Mystery ?
