Another day, another assassinationThe murder of an important person, such as a politician, royal or business leader. attempt. This time, not at a rally, but while Donald Trump was relaxing with a game of golf at his FloridaA coastal state in the south-east of the US, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Though nicknamed "the sunshine state", it also experiences phenomenal rainstorms. home.

The alleged would-be shooter is 58-year-old Ryan Routh.¹ The gunman made it to the perimeter fence before he was spotted by Secret ServiceA government agency, intelligence agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. members.

For many observers what is worrying about this episode is that it shows how political violence has been normalised in America.

Which is why some think the US is heading down the same path as Weimar Germany.

In the 1920s, the Weimar RepublicThe government of Germany from 1918 to 1933. was beset with violence. Political parties formed their own paramilitaryAn unofficial group organised like a military force. groups which numbered in the hundreds of thousands and later even the millions.²

These groups often fought deadly street battles. From 1924 to 1930, 165 people were reported killed in clashes between paramilitary groups in Germany, along with thousands of injuries.³ Between 1918 and 1922 alone, 354 politicians were murdered.⁴

One reason for the NazisA German political party of the twentieth century, led by Adolf Hitler. The Nazis controlled Germany from the early 1930s until the end of World War II.' rise to power was that they promised to end the chaos and bring order back to the streets.

In the USA, political violence has not yet reached these heights. But in 2020, at least 25 Americans were killed during protests and other forms of political unrest.⁵

And what worries experts is the fact that for many, political violence is rapidly becoming a first response, not a last resort.

However, others say this is nothing new. The USA has long been beset with political violence.

Since 1928, only one president, Dwight EisenhowerThe Republican party president of the USA between 1953 and 1961., has not faced any recorded assassination attempts.

America, they argue, has always been a violent place. This new bout of violence is not a sign it is heading towards dictatorship, but just another chapter in its bloody history.

Is America like pre-war Germany?

Yes: The parallels are clear: violent mobs, political leaders issuing dire threats and a strongman who promises to end the violence.

No: The Weimar Republic was a young and weak state, unused to democracy, still reeling from the horrors of World War One. The US is rich and stable. It can weather this bout of violence.

Or... The US may have a long history of political violence, but this does not mean it can withstand the instability forever. Future historians may write that the violence of the past foretold a coming autocracyA society ruled by a single person or group with absolute power..