benson- Hitler and Nazi Germany

At the conclusion of WWI, Germany found itself in a state of despair. Germany lost the war at the expense of the "November Criminals," or Weimer Government. The Weimer Goverment accepted the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, and times were rough. Hyperinflation was occuring and money was becoming almost useless, unemployment soared. People were poor and devastated, but the United States stepped in and helped Germany. They began giving Germany loans they could use to pay their reparations to Great Britain and France, and restore the economy. Times were looking up until certain conditions arose that made the people turn towards an extremist group, and this extremist group used specific methods to use the conditions to their advantage. In late 1920's early 1930's Germany, present conditions and careful specific methods used by Hitler and the Nazis, helped Hitler rise to power.



One man that was very proactive in the rebuilding of the German economy was a man named Gustav Stressmann (Belk). He served as the foreign minister from 1923-1929 and Germany was rebuilding through many treaties and plans during his Stressmann Era (Belk). Stressmann signed the Dawes Plan which initiated the flow of American capital into Germany (Belk). Unfortunatley for Germany, Stressmann died in 1929, coincidently the same year of the infamous Stock Market Crash in the United States (Internet). Both conditions directly led to the rise of Adolf Hitler. When times are good and prosperous, people are at ease with the current leadership. But when unemployment rises, banks collapse, and the state is in huge debt, people turn towards other leadership, especially the leaders that promise the restoration of economic homeostasis. Germany under Stressmann was making rebuilding steps, but with the death of him, Germany suffered. They lost a man whom alleviated German economic hardships and helped make the Weimer Government look good. With him gone, the Weimer government was on their own. At this time, an extremist fascist group, the Nazis, were campaigning throughout Germany against the Weimer Government. They used propaganda like flyers and posters criticizing the Weimer's decision to accept the terms of Versailles and highlighting the ideas of the Nazi Party. People were beginning to now be swayed towards Hitler message. Their genious, diplomatic, patriotic foreign minister had passed on, and the Weimer Government had to take over after the prosperous Stressmann Era that made the future look promising for Germany. The Weimer govt had already proved incompetent of handling Germany when they turned to the Freikorps (a fascist group) to stop a spartacist (communistic group) uprising (Belk). They accepted the treaty of Versailles limiting their military, so the Weimer govt had to turn to some group for help. They turned to a fascist group and this condition gave rise to the fascist movement and the Nazi Party because Hitler could use this event agaisnt the Weimer govt in his campaigning. One campaigning method for Hitler was his riveting and persuasive speeches. In his speeches, he never made empty or false promises, and told the truth (Movie). His method behind his speeches was a major reason for his rise to power. German citizens were tired of being promised civil liberties, jobs, and other physiological needs. Hitler appealed to the citizens because he told the truth and the true ideology and goals of the Nazi party: German nationalism. Put Germany first was his main message. When the Great Depression of 1929 hit the United States and inevitably Germany, the people heard his message with a little more open-mindness. With the Great Depression, the flow of American capital into Germany ceased, and rebuilding stopped abrubtly. Banks collapsed so small businessess went out of business, hence a rapid rise in unemployment not to mention the huge debt. The people were now ready for a new leader. Hitler kept making his speeches and propaganda, but people were slowly turning away from democracy and towards fascism. Their country was heading into turmoil very quickly, and a solution was absolutely necessary. The Weimer govt had already failed the people leading Germany into one of its worst ever state of despair and national embarassment. Of course communsim and the spartacists used the present conditions to attempt to gain power, but Hitler had a method for this dilemna. He had Storm Troopers in his Nazi Party, whose role was intimidation and to eradicate opposition. These storm troopers guarded Nazi meetings and intimidated opposition from rising with violence and weapons.



Hitler's rise to power was not only individual prowess in any way. If not for the Great Depression and death of Gustav Stressmann, Hitler may have never rised to power. But Hitler was very proficient in taking advantage of situations. With the Great Depression and rise of unemployment, Hitler was quick to criticize the Weimer Government for all of the hardship, to turn the people against the present government and towards him. His riveting speeches of a future prosperous Germany and strong leader grasped the people's attention and vote. in the 1932 election, the Nazi Party got 37% of the vote, a great increase from their 2% in the 1928 election (Movie). All of these conditions and methods used by Hitler and the Nazi Party, made his rise to power completely legal, and in now way did he have to take illegal actions. Adolf Hitler just had the confidence, voice, intellect, and power in his Nazi Party the people wanted. He was just trying to get power at the right place in the right time.