A look at Germany after WWI and how someone like Hitler could convince a nation to vote for him

1. Germany After
WWI

2. Why Is This Important?
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To analyse how Hitler came to power and
why World War II broke out, it helps to
understand the conditions in Germany
between 1918 and 1932
There are FOUR major reasons why
conditions were perfect for a man like
Adolph Hitler to take power

3. 1. Economic Problems:
Inflation
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Instead of taxing people to fund WWI the German Gov’t
borrowed money
As a result the country was left with a huge debt
To pay off the debt the Germans printed more money
which caused inflation
The government had 300 paper mills working 24 hours
a day to make more money
The country was not generating any real wealth so
prices of goods and services rose astronomically

4. Inflation
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A brief explanation

5. 1. Economic Problems:
Inflation
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Inflation example:
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In spring 1922, 300 marks would buy an American dollar
By early 1923 it took 50,000 marks to buy an American
dollar
Soon it took billions of marks to buy a stamp
A shopping bag full to pay a streetcar fare
People carried wheelbarrows full of money

6. Cost of bread in
Berlin

7. 1923:Selling money by weight at the height of hyper-inflation.

8. A German young lady
using worthless paper
money to heat her
home in 1923.

9. Children playing with
stacks of worthless
currency, Germany 1923

10. German Marks

11. 1. Economic Problems:
Inflation
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A lifetime’s savings could become valueless in a matter of
weeks
People started to barter or trade goods rather than use
money
People would spend their money they earned daily so it
wouldn’t devalue over night
Some jobs paid 2 times a day to accommodate inflation
When the new currency, the Rentenmark, replaced the
worthless Reichsbank marks on November 16, 1923 and
12 zeros were cut from prices, prices in the new currency
remained stable

12. 2. Political Instability
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After WWI, Germany had more than 12
political parties
None was strong enough to take control
and help the country
There were three groups: Communists,
Social Democrats, and National Socialists
(Nazis)

13. Communists
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Gov’t run by councils of workers
Industries owned by the gov’t
Military reduced
Workers protected
Supporters: factory and agricultural
workers, some teachers and professors,
pacifists

14. Social Democrats (Liberals)
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Gov’t should be run by elected officials of all
parties
A few key industries should be run by the gov’t
Some terms of Versailles should be honoured
Rights for workers
Freedom of religion and press
Supporters: some workers and professionals,
Christians

15. National Socialists (Nazis)
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Gov’t should be run by the army and wealthy
Industry should be privately owned
Power of the military increased
No democratic government
Activities of Jews and foreigners should be
restricted because they are responsible for
problems
Supporters: army, unemployed, big business,
land owners, aristocrats

16. 3. Treaty of Versailles
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People of Germany were humiliated and felt it
was unjust (War Guilt)
Hitler promised to:
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Rearm Germany
Get revenge on enemies
Cancel the treaty
Expand the army
Restore German honour
Win back by force German territory

17. Question
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Who is Hitler appealing to when he’s
promising these things?
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Military?
Big Business Owners?
Middle Class?
Working People?
Nationalists?

19. 4. Depression and Unemployment
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Americans didn’t buy German
manufactured goods, banks didn’t lend to
Germany to rebuild after WWI
France and Britain put large tariffs on
German goods
Many people became unemployed
Workers saw their wages decrease
Germany was hurt by Stock Market Crash

20. Depression and Unemployment
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People lived in forests, farmers used weapons to
protect crops
Starving people came to the city to try to find food
One news item reported 30% of Germany was
unemployed
People were deliberately getting arrested to get
food
Hitler used this to blame the gov’t and encourage
people that they wanted a dictatorship

21. Germany was in a
desperate state and Hitler
took advantage of it to
further his dream