The Nazi dictatorship is a milestone in its historiography, as it covers the main topics focused on the study of Nazism and records, analyzes, and evaluates the historiographical debates that emerged in the attempt to understand and interpret the Nazi period. The book addresses issues such as the Holocaust, the charisma and leadership of Hitler, Nazi foreign policy and its consequences, as well as the effects of German unification on the historiography of the Third Reich.

The motivation for writing the book was Kershaw's participation in a highly significant conference in 1979, attended by all the prominent German and British historians specializing in the Third Reich. Radically opposing interpretations of how the Nazi regime operated were expressed at this conference. One interpretation focused almost exclusively on Hitler, his ideas, his decisions, and his will. This approach was strongly opposed by those who emphasized the structures of the regime and the forces beyond the dictator, forces that were significant factors but not necessarily under his control.

The intensity and fierceness of the discussions at this conference, especially among the German historians, helped the author realize that the issues being addressed were of great importance to the participants and concerned not only Germany's past but also its present. These debates, which often had political, ideological, and even ethical implications, led Kershaw to seek compositions that would allow the modern researcher to gain a more detached yet comprehensive understanding of the Nazi dictatorship.