Germany faced immense political and economic challenges after World War 1. The Treaty of Versailles imposed harsh terms that reduced Germany's military, assigned war guilt, and required massive reparations payments. This crippled Germany's economy and led to problems like hyperinflation. The new Weimar government struggled to stabilize the country and faced distrust from the German people who blamed it for signing the punitive treaty. Unless conditions changed, the government was unlikely to succeed given the desperate situation it inherited.