In the Fall of 1922, Germany – facing historic inflation – found itself unable to make reparation payments to its European counterparts for its role in the Great War. Germany’s loss was only partially responsible for its rising instability. As industrialism took over, worship of the new hyper-wealthy Übermensch, a deadly global pandemic, and unregulated financial markets led to a perfect storm that would vastly reshape the course of history.
It is hard to ignore the numerous parallels one can draw between that time and the world we’re living in today. Once again markets are under regulated, the cult of celebrity capitalist is stronger than ever, and a deadly pandemic has rolled across the globe. Watching “Babylon Berlin”, one cannot help but feel a certain sense of panic. Growing up in the 1990s, the thought of a Western world as divided as pre-WWII era Europe seemed preposterous. We had seen the horrors that misinformation could achieve.
But here, in the Netflix-funded Germany-made series (the most expensive ever filmed in Europe), one is taken by the hand and shown how the atrocities of the Nazi era could come about. The concerning thing is: we’re already well on our way to having history repeat itself.
Millenials are the first generation to experience multiple financial collapses during their lives. For many, the first happened while in high school, while the second is taking place in their first years as working professionals. While there was hope that the 2007 financial crisis would lead to the reform of financial markets and regulations, the numbers suggest that this hasn’t happened. Since 2007 the amount of debt to GDP ration in the United states has doubled. With interest rates lower than ever, speculation is rife, and has led to increasingly shocking events. This has also been mirrored by the rise of the celebrity CEO. With only a few tweets, Elon Musk was able to raise the price of Doge Coin 4000% in a matter of weeks. His appearance on SNL, and statement that the coin is “a hustle” resulted in the currency plummeting.
Then there’s the pandemic, and the rise of misinformation. While modern medicine has been the saviour in the world’s fight against the Corona virus, divisive politics have certainly caused an increase in deaths. Between former president Trump’s failure to implement a pre-designed response, to India’s Prime Minister holding mass rallies turned super-spreader events, to Boris Johnson’s gutting of the NHS, the rise of the strong man may lead to the demise of humanity.
The greatest tool we have against making historical mistakes is to be students of history. The pitfalls of the Weimar Republic and ensuing global disasters are ours to be avoided, if we listen to history’s warning bell.
Babylon Berlin is available on Netflix in Canada, Australian, and the United States, and on Sky in the UK.
For a great book on the history of Berlin during the Weimar Republic, I can highly recommend Otto Friedrich’s “Before the Deluge”.
