Germany help! (1 Viewer)

[jacksonhughes95]

Can someone Help with the key steps in the rise to power of the nazi party in 1923 and the impact of the great depression on Germany.

It would be great help!

 

[Sunners]

The impact Great Depression and the failure of successive Weimar governments was ultimately a large step for the Nazis to come to power. Germany, even during 1924-29 were unstable as they were reliant on foreign loans and now couldn't repay them as well as meet their reparation payments. Government after government adopted a deflationary policy, to contract the economy, and the economy further contracted, 6 million unemployed in 1932. The Nazis took advantage of this, they promised to fix the problems, when they ran for the Reichstag and when Hitler ran for president, Hitler said in one particular poster,' Adolf Hitler will provide work and bread'. Hitler was seen as having the strong leadership Germany needed but no one else possessed.

But even throughout 1924-29 there were actions taken by the governments of those days that were intended to further take away germany's pre WW1 prestige such as joining the League of Nations (the very organisation that'd imposed the Treaty of Versailles on the German nation) and openly participating in its activities. Those actions always made the conservative elite upset but the depression was the final straw for them to turn to the Nazis - because they promised to fix those problems other Weimar governments could or would not.

 

[History 101]

Impact of Great Depression (1929) - brought severe social hardship as it caused mass poverty, unemployment reaching up to 6 million by 1933 and the desertion of families
In relation to the impact of the Great Depression on the rise of the Nazi's you can have two arguments:
1. That the Great Depression did NOT lead to heightening of the Nazi Party’s influence as the German people did not look for a saviour and the rise of the Nazism and the triumph of Hitler was not expected - a historian you could look at is Dick Geary
2. Or, The Great Depression made Hitler's accession to power more foreseeable, as for many Germans the depression brought chaos and destruction, many were unforgiving as they claimed the Weimar destroyed their lives - a historian you could look at is Louis Snyder

Rise of the Nazis:
The same argument holds, you need to discuss whether their rise to power was inevitable/predictable and why.

Some things I would definetely mention in your essay would be:
- affects of the Treaty of Versailles
- Great Depression and hyperinflation
- Political instability
- Political elections
- And the severe underestimation of Hitler's ability to manipulate

Hope that helps!
P.S. When discussing the rise of Hitler you should talk about the downfall of Weimar, as the two are linked.