Williams--Fatal Governmental Mistakes = Willingness to Listen

Shortly after the end of WWI, a left-wing group of German radicals called the Spartacists rebelled against the government, the Weimar Republic. When the government couldn’t hold them off alone, it chose to enlist help from a military group called the Friekorps, later known as the Nazi Party. The Spartacist Uprising showed that not all Germans were content with the newly installed democracy and that even in its early days, the Weimar Republic was weak--from the very start it faced opposition that could not be settled. The government made more and more flawed decisions, its opposition grew. Even in 1918, Germany was building up to change; it just wasn’t ready to listen to Adolf Hitler. By using governmental decisions gone wrong to his advantage and through the use of propaganda, Hitler was able to rise to power. The methods and conditions under which Hitler rose to power resulted from flawed decisions made by the Weimar Republic and the German people’s increasing willingness to listen to the Nazi’s message.
At the end of WWI, the Weimar Republic signed the Treaty of Versailles. Although this treaty ended the war, it angered and humiliated German citizens. First of all, the War Guilt Clause blamed Germany as the sole aggressor in WWI and demanded the country pay $33 billion in war reparations. This sent Germany into a long and severe economic downturn, not only because of the huge bill, but because the country had suffered great losses (both money-wise and casualties) from WWI. Inflation and unemployment were on the rise, and things were not looking good. While some historians may say the signing of the Treaty of Versailles by the Weimar Republic was a move necessary to avoid an invasion of Germany, it was not in accordance with the desires of the people. A true democracy makes decisions based on what the people want. The decision to sign the Treaty of Versailles was a flawed choice on the Weimar Republic’s part, for they did much more damage in ending the war than they would have in continuing it. Germans were utterly humiliated by their country’s actions; when they were so close to winning, the Weimar Republic pulled Germany out of the war and surrendered to the enemy. By signing the Treaty of Versailles, the Weimar Republic began its own slow, painful downfall. The anger the people of Germany felt only grew as the country continued to suffer economically due to the treaty. This anger eventually became what led Germans to turn to Hitler and consider the options he had to offer. As the Weimar Republic made more fatal mistakes in the eyes of the people, Germans became unsure of their future and to whom they should turn. People became more open-minded about change and new life, and began to search for alternative leaders. While they did not turn directly to Hitler, the Germans’ newfound open-mindedness allowed Hitler to put his voice out there and hope for someone to hear him.
While trying to fix the economic mess the Weimar Republic had gotten Germany into when it signed the Treaty of Versailles, German Foreign Minister Stresemann got together with two U.S. bankers (Dawes and Young) to figure out a plan. The Dawes Plan of 1924 was meant to help Germany pay off its war debt. America would lend money to Germany every so often, allowing the country to pay the Allies off in a more timely fashion. As America lent money, Germany’s economy began to improve. Life was good again…until the U.S.’s Great Depression. America lost the ability to lend money to Germany, which sent Germany’s economy downhill once more. Young’s Plan (1929) worked a bit differently, lessening the reparations and dividing up payments. The German people, of course, were more skeptical of this plan—last time America helped them out their economy was sent tumbling to its near doom for a second time. Could they really trust the enemy again? It is understandable that the Weimar Republic would want to cover up its mistake of signing the Treaty of Versailles, and the War Guilt Clause, by hiring someone to fix it. However, enlisting help from America really wasn’t the best idea. German citizens were skeptical of America and working with the enemy to pay off a gigantic war debt re-opened the wounds created by the Treaty of Versailles. Especially after the Dawes Plan failed and Germany’s economy worsened for a second time, Germans began to wonder how effective the Weimar Republic and its democracy really were. Their concerns and desires weren’t really being heard, or in the very least weren’t being acted upon. The German people saw flaws in their government and really began to search for change. Hitler, too, was waiting to be heard. As the economy worsened in Germany, his support grew and more people turned to him for answers. Changing conditions in Germany led to changes in the German people’s willingness to listen to Hitler and the Nazis.
Once enough opposition to the Weimar Republic arose, Hitler made his move. He travelled and campaigned, gaining support. One method he often used to reel in the German people was propaganda. He made very powerful, moving speeches that made Germans feel as if they were meant to follow him. Hitler said he would make “no false promises”, as past governments, and acted as the type of person Germans could trust in trying times. Hitler told people that dictatorship was the way to go. Because the vast majority of Germans disapproved of the Weimar Republic and it actions, they listened to Hitler—anything but democracy must be good, right? He also pointed out the flaws of the Weimar Republic by bringing up the Spartacist Uprising and how his own men had to put it out. This opened the eyes of deliberating Germans, who finally began to believe they needed someone new in power. Everything was going according to Hitler’s plan—people were beginning to trust him. After WWI, the painful downfall of the Weimar Republic, and two economic downturns, Germany was sick of democracy. It just didn’t know to whom it should turn for leadership. Hitler used propaganda in his speeches to convince the country he was the one to listen to. Disgusted with the current government and eager for change, German citizens were willing to listen, giving Hitler the strength and support he needed to rise to power.
At the beginning of the Weimar Republic’s rule in Germany, many citizens had faith in democracy. However, after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles and the end of WWI, Germans were unsure of their new government. Their wants were not being addressed and the economy was in deep trouble. Citizens wondered about new leadership, but kept going about life. Once the Dawes and Young Plans failed, Germans knew they really didn’t like the Weimar Republic. The economy got even worse, all because of the government’s workings with the enemy. At this point Germans truly began to search for a new leader. Adolf Hitler took this opportunity to make his big debut, and people actually listened to him. All he had to do was make them buy his plan. Hitler did this by using propaganda. He was able to gain the people’s support by showing them the Weimar Republic’s weaknesses through the Spartacist Uprising and by telling them that life would be better under a dictatorship. Germans bought Hitler’s pitch and he finally rose to power. Without the flawed decisions made by the Weimar Republic and the increasing willingness of the German people to listen to Hitler and the Nazis, the methods and conditions under which they rose to power would have never existed.