The American News-Week newspaper – the very first issue ever published – February 17, 1933, approximately two weeks after Adolf Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933.
On the cover page of the issue appears a large photograph of a Nazi SA parade bearing swastika flags, captioned: “Monday: Hitler’s Night” – the victory marches marking Hitler’s rise to power. Alongside it: Franklin Delano Roosevelt elected President of the United States, Vice Chancellor Franz von Papen engaged in sensitive negotiations in Germany, and more.
This issue marked the birth of Newsweek magazine, which for decades would be among the world’s most important political weeklies. The decision to devote such prominent space to Hitler’s rise and the Nazis in the very first issue reflects the editors’ understanding of the significance of the event even in real time. On page 15, in the “The News-Week Abroad” section, the paper chose to publish a photo of baby Hitler alongside a photograph of David Lloyd George. In the article covering Hitler’s ascent to power, it was reported that eleven Germans had been killed in bloody street riots, and on the antisemitic speech delivered by Hans Frank, in which he condemned Paul Löbe, who left the hall to cries of “Pigs!” and “Jewish boys!”. The issue later quotes Hitler’s remarks from a gathering held shortly beforehand in Berlin’s grand public assembly hall, draped in blazing Nazi flags: “For fourteen years, ” he said, “parties of destruction and revolution have led and abused the German people. Today I stand before the German nation and plead: Give us four years – and then pass your judgment.” In the same speech, Hitler also declared war on democracy: “The parliamentary-democratic system must be fought, ” he shouted. “We want to rid ourselves of what a rotten kind of democracy has produced. The parties of class warfare can be sure of one thing: as long as God grants me life, my resolve to destroy them will remain unshakable.” His words were met with thunderous applause.
In light of these statements and the grim news out of Germany, the paper concluded that Adolf Hitler was moving toward dictatorship (at this stage, still considered a “new development”).
Newsweek is one of the most important and influential news weeklies of the 20th century. It became known for its innovative approach to news coverage: combining powerful images, concise reporting, and political analysis. For decades, Newsweek served as a central source for understanding American public opinion, shaping public discourse in the U.S. and around the world—especially on issues of foreign policy, security, economics, and leadership.
The magazine consistently reflected the spirit of the times, from the Great Depression to the fall of the Soviet bloc, from the civil rights movement to the Iraq wars. Its decisive contribution lay in making complex events accessible to a broad readership, maintaining a journalistic tone that was approachable yet serious. For many years, it competed directly with Time magazine, and at times even surpassed it in terms of influence. Its international and digital editions extended its reach to more than one hundred countries.
32 [1] pages. Complete issue. Very good condition.
