For Hitler’s rise to power, the conditions during the 1920’s and early 1930’s were more of a reason for his realization of becoming the chancellor of Germany than the methods he used. Hitler’s methods were proven ineffective at the beginning of his attempts to gain popularity in Germany, and the only thing that changed between his early years as head of the Nazi party and 1933 when he gained his political power were the hardships Germany was experiencing.
In his attempts to gain power, Hitler used several forms of propaganda. Hitler made speeches to his followers and whoever would attend the rallies. Almost every speech made the promise of a change, and that Hitler would make life better for the German people. He began these speeches in the early 20’s, and used his raw anger and passion to gain the support of those who wanted to restore Germany’s lost “glory” and who felt betrayed by the way the war had ended. These people were drawn in by Hitler’s stance that the treaty of Versailles had betrayed Germany, and condemned the people to lives of hardship. He would also say how Germany needed to return to a simpler way of living once the glitz of the 1920’s came to Germany if the nation ever wanted to work its way back up to its former power. Hitler’s speeches were his main way to gain support, since people of Germany were drawn to his charisma, but the support only began to come in droves much later in his days of campaigning.
Hitler also used posters and flyers to spread the word of the Nazi party, and to go against the current Weimar government. Most of Nazi propaganda was focused on tearing down the reputation of the current government, making them look like they had betrayed Germany by surrendering the war. They also used to events of the Spartacist revolt to show that the government was not even strong enough to defend itself, because the Weimar government had to call on help from the Freikorps to put down the radical Spartacists. The Nazis tried to gain support from the people who were suffering in their country. This is important to how the conditions were the most important part of Hitler’s rise to power, because as conditions worsened, these promises of change became more appealing to more Germans.
The conditions of Germany were the main contributor to a new government being put in place. The previously mentioned methods used by Hitler did not change in his entire decade of trying to gain control of the country, but a series of events made Germany ripe for a strong ruler like him and the Nazis.
The first of these conditions was the great depression in 1929. Before black Tuesday, Germany’s foreign minister Stresemann had made plans with the US to help Germany repay the debts brought on by the Treaty of Versailles. The Dawes and Young Plans were both set in place to adjust how Germany would pay its debts, and established a system where the US made loans to Germany. When the great depression struck America, this stimulating cash flow ceased for Germany, and at the same time, America called in Germany’s debts from the loans it had already made, while Germany still had to pay its war reparations to the European nations around it. This amount of debt being called at once wreaked havoc on the German economy, which could not make anywhere close to the payments that were due. With this, inflation spiked, and unemployment rose to levels never before seen. As the unemployment rate rose, so did the Nazis' support in the polls. In only two years, 1929-31, the Nazi’s percent of the vote increased ten times. Since the methods of the Nazis did not change, the only logical conclusion is that the conditions are what caused the change in the Nazi party’s popularity. People became bitterer towards the Weimar government because they viewed their failures at governing the country and leading the war as the source of the current misery.
Germany’s unemployment, weak government, and the effect of the great depression on Germany set up the grounds for a new government to take over. If not for the poor conditions in the country, the Nazis never would have gained support enough to take power in Germany. This is shown in how for the years prior to the great depression the Nazis never gained more than 4% of the electoral vote. Without the key failures around them, the Nazis would never have realized their goals of control of Germany.
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