In the years immediately following WWII, members of the German political elite rapidly shifted their loyalties away from Nazism and toward support of the fledgling democracy of the Federal Republic. In this study, Hayse (history, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey) examines the forces behind this transformation, ultimately concluding that it was due more to self-imposed pressure than to the Allies' social change policies. The focus is on higher civil servants, business leaders, and physicians in the state of Hesse during the period 1945-1955. The text is based upon the author's dissertation. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)