How the Great Depression Paved the Road for Hitler

920 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Nazi hitler grade 11 essay for grade 11

A. Plan of Investigation

The 1930s were a hard time for Germany. A year before the American stock exchange had crashed, leaving Germany in an economic depression. Who was going to help Germany get back on track? Adolf Hitler was. Hitler took charge; a majority of Germans needed help from the only party that promised change, so they could get out of this economic depression. In what ways did the Great Depression of Germany in 1929 help Hitler rise to power? This may have led to one of the most horrific genocides in world history. This investigation will discuss how the treaty of Versailles, Nazi storm troopers, and other aspects of the 1929 Depression contributed to Hitler’s rise to power.

B. Summary of Evidence

Treaty of Versailles
• “Germany had to accept responsibility for starting the war, and had to agree to pay for the cost of the damage (set at £6.6 billion in 1921).” (BBC: GCSE Bitesize “Treaty of Versailles” p.1)
• Germany was not allowed to negotiate the terms for the treaty. (BBC: GCSE Bitesize “Treaty of Versailles” p.1)
• Germany lost some of it land to Britain and France. (johndclare “The main points of the Treaty”)
Depression of 1929
• The poverty in Germany gave Hitler his opportunity to power. (The History Place 17)
• “Since the failed Beer Hall Putsch in 1923, Hitler had changed tactics and was for the most part playing by the rules of democracy.” (The History Place 17)
• Hitler was the only party promising change. (History Learning Site “Weimar Republic and the Great Depression”)

Nazi Storm Troopers

• “The Nazi party is the only political party permitted in Germany, a situation that will last until the military defeat of Germany in 1945.” (USHMM “The Nazi Terror Begins”)
• To establish Nazi control in Ger...

... middle of paper ...

...mans population helped him gain their support and rise to power. Since the German citizens’ were extremely poor and Hitler made several promises to improve their lives, it made their population support him. Therefore, answering the question.

Works Cited

BBC News. BBC. Web. 14 May 2014. .

"The History Place - Rise of Hitler: Great Depression Begins." The History Place - Rise of Hitler: Great Depression Begins. Web. 13 May 2014. .

Clare, John D. " The Main Points of the Treaty." Terms of the Treaty of Versailles. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2014.

"History of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Council, 10 June 2013. Web. 3 May 2014.

Show More
Related

  • The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression

    1508 Words  | 4 Pages

    Pindar, Ian. "The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression by Amity Shlaes." The Guardian, August 9, 2009.

    Read More

  • Holocaust vs. Cambodian Genocide

    711 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gottfried, Ted, and Stephen Alcorn. Nazi Germany: The Face of Tyranny. Brookfield, CT: Twenty-First Century, 2000. Print.

    Read More

  • Hitler’s Political Succession Amidst the Economic Depression

    1613 Words  | 4 Pages

    This investigation will address the research question, to what extent was Germany’s post-World War I economic depression a causal factor in Hitler’s rise to power from 1919 to 1934? With the Treaty of Versailles, the German government was required to pay 132 billion gold marks of war reparations, drastically worsened with the US Wall Street crash. This effectively crippled the German economy and created a desperate people. For this investigation, Hitler’s private life history and pre-military career will not be analyzed. His political rise will be examined from the perspective of economic and social factors. Several primary sources will be explored, including the Hitler’s Mein Kampf and Hitler’s 25-Point Program. In addition, tertiary sources covering Hitler’s non-personal life and rise to power will be studied.

    Read More

  • Adolf Hilter and The German Military

    1596 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Versailles Peace Treaty of 1918 was the end result of the brutal First World War. Europe was devastated, and the Allied forces were faced with the task of coming to terms with their former German enemy. It is well known that the French were determined to punish Germany; they sought revenge and made little attempt to hide their objective. At the Versailles Peace Conference the struggle between the French and Germans began a new path. The French demanded large reparations payments and several other drastic measures that would keep Germany from ever being capable of attacking them again. The agreement that was reached enacted several harsh measures against Germany. Aside from the huge reparations that they would be forced to pay, the Allied nations forced the Germans to completely demilitarize their military. Germany was also str...

    Read More

  • The Causes of World War II

    663 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Treaty of Versailles is a cause of World War II because of the restrictions it placed on Germany as the alleged sole aggressor of the war. The war reparation totaled $98 billion, and under Clause 231 Germany was forced to take the entire load onto her ruined economy and attempt to repay the debt starting with an initial $5 billion payment. In terms of military, Germany was limited to a 100,000 man army, with her navy stripped to the level of a coast guard, she was allowed no heavy artillery, no weapons of mass destruction and the border with France became a demilitarized zone for 15 years following the signing of the treaty on June 28 1919. Germany also lost all her territories in Africa and became a mandate of the Allied Forces, those living in mandated zones could participate in “self-determination” after the Allies taught them how to be a democracy (...

    Read More

  • Was the Treaty of Versailles the Major Cause of World War Two?

    1156 Words  | 3 Pages

    At the end of World War One, Germany was required to pay a large sum of money to the Allies consequently resulting in the German Depression. The sum Germany had to pay was set after the Treaty of Versailles was enacted at approximately six billion, six hundred million – twenty-two billion pounds, (World War Two – Causes, Alan Hall, 2010). The large amount of reparations that Germany had to pay resulted in a depression and angered the Germans because they thought it was an excessive amount of money to pay, (World War Two – Causes) The Germans hatred of the Treaty of Versailles was of significant importance in propelling the Nazis to power. Germany could not pay their reparations and was forced into a depression, (World War II – Causes). The Treaty of Versailles deprived Germany of its economic production and its available employments, (World War II – Causes). The German Depr...

    Read More

  • Effects Of Treaty Of Versailles

    1279 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, recognized the feelings of the British people when he said ‘the Germans are going to pay every penny: they are going to be squeezed … until the pips squeak” (. This was the general conscious the British and the French people had because they felt they were owed for all of the wartime damages that occurred, the civilian and Soldiers lives that were lost, and because of the recourses the allies used to fight central powers. Ultimately the British and the French wanted revenge on Germany and for the first time they were in the power to do it. “Germany was not invited; as the defeated party, it was only required to sign the treaty once the cost of defeat had been established”2. The German s had no say at the negotiating table at the treaty of Versailles and because of this the “Big Four” ultimately and the power to punish Germany however they sought fit. This was a long shot from “Wilson’s proposed, “peace among equals,”2 and created much resentment from the German people. “Acceptance of blame appeared in Clause 231 of the treaty, later known as the ‘War Guilt clause’. Once Germany was made to acknowledge that it was responsible for the

    Read More

  • Causes & Effects of the Holocaust

    1411 Words  | 3 Pages

    In addition, having lost the war, the humiliated Germans were forced by the Allies to sign the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 that officially ended World War I. According to the harsh terms of the treaty, Germany had to hand over many of its richest industrial territories to the victors, and was made to pay reparations to the Allied countries it devastated during the war. Germany lost its pride, prestige, wealth, power, and the status of being one of Europe's greatest nations. (Resnick p. 15)

    Read More

  • The Effect of the Great Depression on Hitler's Power

    958 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Treaty of Versailles only partly helped Hitler become chancellor. On 28 June 1919, Germany signed the Treaty with the allies, losing 10% of her land. The German army was reduced to 100,000 men and Germany had to pay reparations of £6,600 million. Hitler blamed the Treaty for Germany's problems. When Germany failed to pay a reparation instalment in 1922, French and Belgian troops entered German soil and seized goods.

    Read More

  • Arguments For The Treaty Of Versailles

    1039 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Treaty of Versailles is one of the most controversial postwar resolutions ever drawn up. The leaders of the prevailing 4 nations, Woodrow Wilson, Georges Clemenceau, David Lloyd George, and Vittorio Orlando, were the authors of this controversial document. Each leader went into Versailles with their own idea of how the world should look after the great war. However, the European leaders widely agreed that Germany should be restricted, to some extent, militarily and sanctioned economically. France demanded the most from Germany, to ensure that Germany could not recreate a war machine ever again. Specifically, France wanted to annex Alsace-Lorraine and the Rhineland to create a buffer zone between Germany and mainland France. France demanded

    Read More

  • How Did The Versailles Treaty Help The World War II?

    1394 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Treaty of Versailles, initially created to keep peace in Europe and ensure that another war like World War I wouldn’t happen again, had in fact, backfired and spiraled the world down into a deeper, bloodier battle. The treaty discriminated strongly against Germany, with the loss of territories, military restrictions, economic reparations, and the War Guilt Clause. It caused humiliation and anger within Germany, and led to Hitler and the Nazi Party coming to power. World War II was not only started by Adolf Hitler and Germany, but had a lot to do with the humiliation that Germany felt when the terms for the Treaty of Versailles were laid down. The harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles may be indirectly related to the cause of World War II, but nonetheless was a huge factor in starting the war.

    Read More

  • National Socialism

    1188 Words  | 3 Pages

    With the armistice that took effect November 11,1918, the Great War had come to an end, four long years after it had begun. The German military machine had lost the war, and with it, hopes of German dominance in European affairs. Utterly defeated, the new German government (the Kaiser had abdicated at the end of the war) had no choice but to comply with the conditions of the Treaty of Versailles, despite the fact that Germany was allowed no say in the terms of the treaty. As a result of this treaty, Germany was stripped of all her colonial possessions as well as valuable continental territories, most importantly, Alsace-Lorraine, the Saar, and the Polish Corridor. Her armed forces were restricted to 100,000 men, and restricted from occupying the Rhineland. Furthermore, Germany was held responsible for the war and therefore had to pay reparations for all d...

    Read More

  • The Versailles Treaty

    428 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Versailles treaty was also responsible for the political problems the country faced after World War One. The treaty stated, in articles 42-44 that Germany was not allowed to have any armed forces and if this rule were not followed, it would be considered a hostile action.

    Read More

  • Hitler's Utopia

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    Adolf Hitler came to power on February 28, 1933 (Rossel). He rose to power using inflammatory speeches and inspiring hope for the defeated Germans. He constructed a system to empower the German people and allow them to thrive in the period after the Great Depression (Noakes). Using keen acumen and decisive moves, he was able to turn Germany into a war machine bent on the creation of an Aryan utopian society, at the cost of all inferior races, especially the Jews ("The Period between 1933 and 1939"). At this time Germany was a defeated country. They had recently had numerous humiliating defeats in WWI, and the Germans no longer had the pride they once had celebrated (Laurita). Augmented by the fact that the Great Depression had ravaged the country and left many in a state of penury and impoverished, the Germans were desperate. As well, Germany was currently a country without any source of stability without a generally supported constitution. When Hitler promised a utopian society filled with hope and where the Germans would be exalted as the superior race, the Germans listened and obeyed his every word (Noakes). Hitler fed on the desperation and hopelessness of these German people to make a society driven by fear; this state of pity allowed Hitler to convince the Germans that he could provide a better future.

    Read More

  • Essay On Nazi Germany A Totalitarian State

    2864 Words  | 6 Pages

    MODERN HISTORY – RESEARCH ESSAY “To what extent was Nazi Germany a Totalitarian state in the period from 1934 to 1939?” The extent to which Nazi Germany was a totalitarian state can be classed as a substantial amount. With Hitler as Fuhrer and his ministers in control of most aspects of German social, political, legal, economical, and cultural life during the years 1934 to 1939, they mastered complete control and dictation upon Germany. In modern history, there have been some governments, which have successfully, and others unsuccessfully carried out a totalitarian state. A totalitarian state is one in which a single ideology is existent and addresses all aspects of life and outlines means to attain the final goal, government is run by a single mass party through which the people are mobilized to muster energy and support.

    Read More

More about How the Great Depression Paved the Road for Hitler

Open Document