The Rise of Hitler

The depression in 1929 was one of the main factors. For Hitler and the Nazis, the depression was good. They blamed the Weimar Republic, the Communists, the Jewish people, the Treaty of Versailles and promised to be free of the enemy within who was destroying Germany. The people of Germany felt similarly so they followed Germany. Using teamwork and skills of propaganda in order to get votes Hitler and the Nazis managed to use this time well. The Nazis were very successful in this. In the elections the Nazis made their first great breakthrough. They went from just 12 to 107 seats in the Reichstag. This was highly important to Hitler becoming Chancellor. If as many seats had not been acquired in the Reichstag, Hitler and the Nazis probably would have stayed just a small party. But, the Nazis maintained a high amount of seats in parliament after the depression. In 1933, when Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, they became the biggest party in the Reichstag.

In 1929 there was a big problem of rising unemployment and poverty throughout Germany due to the great depression. According to the Weimar Republic there were two choices to get the country out of depression. Their first thought was to begin printing money and increase government expenditure. This had been tried once in 1923. It had caused in hyperinflation. As hyperinflation was more of a concern than the rise in unemployment, the Chancellor raised the taxes and reduced unemployment benefits to balance the budget. Here is when people begun to dislike the government. When loosing faith in the Weimar Republic, people started to follow the Nazis. This is again another factor.