The astonishing story of the critical year 1923 - the year when the French illegally and brutally occupied Germany's economic heartland, the Ruhr; when hyperinflation wrought havoc with the German economy and plunged millions into poverty; and when Hitler staged his abortive yet pivotal putsch in a Munich beer hall. This period saw the rise of nationalism as the intra-European consensus broke down, populist rhetoric translated into actual violence on the streets and the forces of liberalism underestimate the strength of their enemies. Publishing in the centenary of this extraordinary year, this is the account of a global moment when so much changed and which has so many terrifying lessons for the world today.