Germany's vulnerability
May 7th, 1919: The Treaty of Versailles is presented to Germany. The most humiliating article inclosed in the Treaty is article 231, which is often referred to as the “War Guilt Clause”. This clause states that Germany is solely responsible for initiation of the war, and should be held accountable for the repercussions. The treaty is signed the following month on the 28th.
The humiliation caused by the Treaty gave way to a more vulnerable public. This, as well as a weak economy, and government, provided a platform for the Nazi Party and Hitler’s reign.
Hitler and his party manipulated propaganda and the public long before they were commonly known as "Nazis". Hitler began his efforts, of gaining political control, by offering a solution to every problem that Germany, and it's citizens faced. For example, he would utilize German's loss of WWI by saying that the German army had been "Stabbed in the back". This evoked a sense of offense to the national pride of the public. Hitler also used the Treaty of Versailles to his advantage. He displayed to the public his wishes to abolish the treaty. Other politicians were not in support of the Treaty, but Hitler went a step further and used the public's humiliation as a rallying point. An ad for one of Hitler's speeches even read,
The humiliation caused by the Treaty gave way to a more vulnerable public. This, as well as a weak economy, and government, provided a platform for the Nazi Party and Hitler’s reign.
Hitler and his party manipulated propaganda and the public long before they were commonly known as "Nazis". Hitler began his efforts, of gaining political control, by offering a solution to every problem that Germany, and it's citizens faced. For example, he would utilize German's loss of WWI by saying that the German army had been "Stabbed in the back". This evoked a sense of offense to the national pride of the public. Hitler also used the Treaty of Versailles to his advantage. He displayed to the public his wishes to abolish the treaty. Other politicians were not in support of the Treaty, but Hitler went a step further and used the public's humiliation as a rallying point. An ad for one of Hitler's speeches even read,
Adolf Hitler speaks out…Come and protest against Germany being burdened with the war guilt. Protest against the Peace Treaty of Versailles which has been forced upon us by the sole culprit of the war, the Jewish international stock exchange capitol.
The economic issues also posed as a great manipulation point for the Nazis. The inflation of 1923 was so extreme, that German Housewives used the practically useless currency as fire kindling. As the economy became worse and worse, Nazi support grew. The results of the Election of 1932, in which the Nazi party won, was greatly due to the European depression which spread in 1929.