The European continent, and more specifically, Germany, at the end of World War I, is the key to understanding the events leading up to World War II. The Treaty of Versailles was the pact that formally initiated the termination of World War I. Correspondingly, the Treaty of Versailles can also be directly linked to many of the problems that led Germany into a downward spiral. France, Germany, Italy, and Great Britain all signed the treaty. However, because the Germans had lost the war, the treaty forced Germany pay for the total cost of the war, and Germany also had to take full responsibility for World War I. During the nineteen twenties and early 1930’s the Nazi regime had to conquer struggling economic hardships, dissenting political viewpoints, and public social challenges before they could guide the country of Germany towards a total authoritarian dictatorship.
In the first place, although the struggling economy of Germany set the table for the Nazi regime to gain strength, it was nowhere near a night and day process. The National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi) was one of many German political groups across the country. Additionally, the Nazi party was primarily upset about the outcome of World War I because the Treaty of Versailles not only forced Germany to shrink its military, but it also instructed them to be financially responsible for World War I. In other words, Germany had to pay reparations to the countries involved, and this brought about a great economic depression. “By early 1930 economic difficulties had put Germany into a political crisis. High taxes, increased tariffs, cuts in government spending, and deflationary policies did nothing to ease the situation” (Bergen 49).
With this in mind, a strong contention can be made that the German economic issues after World War I was the genesis of an evolving social/political manipulation on the part of the Nazi regime. Furthermore, convincing the German public politically and socially that Germany could be great once again required manipulation from Hitler and his supporters. A perfect example of social manipulation occurred February 27, 1933, when the German Parliament building caught fire. Hitler outsmarted other politicians in Germany by uniting them against the communists after the fire. “The Reichstag fire gave Hitler a pretext to dismantle what was left of Germany’s democratic institutions” (Bergen 53).
By the same token, an example of political manipulation occurred with the passing of the Enabling Law. “The Enabling Law allowed Hitler to put through any measure without approval from the Reichstag” (Bergen 53). Once this law was passed Hitler no longer had to maneuver around German Parliament to push his policies. This was a crucial turning point for the Nazi’s to obtain full control of Germany because previously presidential decree or the vote from various governmental parties was preventing Hitler form implementing his plans after his appointment to Chancellor. One correlation to this political manipulation of the Nazi’s is demonstrated once Hitler retired and shifted generals around in the military after the passing of the Enabling Law.
Ultimately, the Nazi party’s rise to power can be directly correlated with the economic depression suffered across Europe after World War I and the unifying propaganda proposed to repair Germany to greatness. “Defeat in World War I did not make Hitler’s rise to power inevitable, but the way many Germans chose to respond to the challenges of defeat weakened the base support of their own government and prepared the way for even more extreme manipulation of public opinion” (Bergen 47) . As we have seen, manipulation politically and socially led to the Nazi’s push into power. Despite being prevented by political diversity and economic hardships, Hitler essentially a puppet master, brainwashed many into his way of thinking.
“Hitler was obsessed with two notions: that humanity was engaged in a gigantic struggle between “races,” or communities of “blood”; and that “pure Germans,” members of the so-called Aryan race, needed space to expand, living space that Hitler called by the German term Lebensraum” (Bergen 36) . By all means, it is important to realize that the “race and space” ideology grew from years of post World War I racial blame, economic disparities, and a failing central German government. Hitler essentially took advantage of these bad situations in order to claw his way to power very much like Benito Mussolini in Italy. “The Nazi Party was declared to be the only legal party in the country, and all efforts to organize any other party were now made subject to severe penalties” (Weinberg 58)
Works Cited
Bergen, Doris L. War & Genocide A Concise History of the Holocaust . Lanham,MA: Rowaman & Littlefield Publishers Inc. , 2009.
Weinberg, Gehard L. Germany, Hitler, and World War II: Essays in Modern German and World History. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1995. Print .
