rise of nazism/hitler
One key event in WWII was the Rise of Nazism/Hitler. The Rise of the Nazi party was the event that eventually led to the holocaust. After World War I, Hitler served as a reservist, spying on political parties. One party was the National Socialist, aka The Nazi Party. This group attracted Hitler with it's racist ideas about a master Aryan race and the so called "inferior" race, such as the Slavs and especially the Jews who must be destroyed. Hitler became the Nazis' 7th member and soon after, he became the leader.
As disturbing as the Nazi ideas were, they were nothing new or original to European culture. Persecution and hatred of the Jews went back to the Middle Ages where they were often hated for being moneylenders, accused of such things as the execution of Christ and conspiring with the Devil to cause the Black Death, and subjected to expulsion from their homelands and at times even massacres.
"Political strife rocked the country as extremists from both the right and left. Notably the Communists, fought for power. Another problem came as the government printed vast amounts of money to support a strike against occupying French troops trying to force Germany to pay its huge indemnity. However, Germany's inability to back up its currency led to a wildly uncontrolled cycle of inflation. As a result, a single turnip would cost 50 million marks and people literally burned money for fuel, carted it around in wheelbarrows, and shoveled it out of bank vaults. Given these conditions, it is hardly surprising that many Germans were drawn to the idea of themselves as a super-race that had been treacherously betrayed by "inferior" enemies from within and without. Therefore membership in the Nazi party grew rapidly in the early 1920s, prompting Hitler to try to overthrow the government in 1923. His Putsch, as it was called, was a total disaster, but the resulting trial earned Hitler a good deal of publicity as a national hero defending German honor against domestic violence and foreign humiliation."
All that changed in the 1930's, as other two effects of World War I created conditions favoring the Nazis. For one thing, the Depression with its higher tariffs raised international tensions, which Hitler could exploit to gain popularity. In addition, the war had created an unstable economy that was overly dependent on financial support from the United States. Therefore, the stock market crash in 1929 dragged Germany down with the American economy. By 1932, six million Germans were unemployed, which played right into Hitler's hands. This time he would use the democratic process to gain power and then use that very democratic process to destroy itself.
The Nazis reacted to these conditions in two ways. First, Nazi thugs, started riots with opposing groups, while blaming them for the disorder, embarrassing the government for failing to keep order and portraying themselves as the defenders of the peace. Second, they bolstered their popularity with free food and festivals, making them look like nice concerned Germans, and by staging huge mass rallies to display their popular support.
In late 1932, rich German industrialists, prompted by fear of a Communist takeover, pressured the government to make Hitler chancellor, hoping they could control him while he contained the Communists. Little did they suspect that this was just the beginning for Hitler.
As disturbing as the Nazi ideas were, they were nothing new or original to European culture. Persecution and hatred of the Jews went back to the Middle Ages where they were often hated for being moneylenders, accused of such things as the execution of Christ and conspiring with the Devil to cause the Black Death, and subjected to expulsion from their homelands and at times even massacres.
"Political strife rocked the country as extremists from both the right and left. Notably the Communists, fought for power. Another problem came as the government printed vast amounts of money to support a strike against occupying French troops trying to force Germany to pay its huge indemnity. However, Germany's inability to back up its currency led to a wildly uncontrolled cycle of inflation. As a result, a single turnip would cost 50 million marks and people literally burned money for fuel, carted it around in wheelbarrows, and shoveled it out of bank vaults. Given these conditions, it is hardly surprising that many Germans were drawn to the idea of themselves as a super-race that had been treacherously betrayed by "inferior" enemies from within and without. Therefore membership in the Nazi party grew rapidly in the early 1920s, prompting Hitler to try to overthrow the government in 1923. His Putsch, as it was called, was a total disaster, but the resulting trial earned Hitler a good deal of publicity as a national hero defending German honor against domestic violence and foreign humiliation."
All that changed in the 1930's, as other two effects of World War I created conditions favoring the Nazis. For one thing, the Depression with its higher tariffs raised international tensions, which Hitler could exploit to gain popularity. In addition, the war had created an unstable economy that was overly dependent on financial support from the United States. Therefore, the stock market crash in 1929 dragged Germany down with the American economy. By 1932, six million Germans were unemployed, which played right into Hitler's hands. This time he would use the democratic process to gain power and then use that very democratic process to destroy itself.
The Nazis reacted to these conditions in two ways. First, Nazi thugs, started riots with opposing groups, while blaming them for the disorder, embarrassing the government for failing to keep order and portraying themselves as the defenders of the peace. Second, they bolstered their popularity with free food and festivals, making them look like nice concerned Germans, and by staging huge mass rallies to display their popular support.
In late 1932, rich German industrialists, prompted by fear of a Communist takeover, pressured the government to make Hitler chancellor, hoping they could control him while he contained the Communists. Little did they suspect that this was just the beginning for Hitler.