This text focuses on events that occurred after 1917: the rise of Nazism on the Right and authoritarianism on the Left. It provides a framework for understanding one of the major ideological confrontations of this century - democracy versus totalitarianism in the forms of fascism, Nazism and communism. The analysis of the outcomes underscores the significance and power of democratic values and governments. Karl Dietrich Bracher extends the argument against dictatorship that runs through his life’s work, offers a blueprint for dealing with the recent past of the communist East German State (DDR), looks at the true facts of the Stasi collaboration and challenges misperceptions of Hitler, Stalin and others. He also demonstrates the kinship between fascism and communism, considers Weimar and liberalism, assesses the legacy of Nazism and outlines the ethos of democracy.