Rise Of Weimar Germany Essay

“A fundamental problem which faced Weimar Germany was the need to come to terms with the post-war world, at a time when a large proportion of the population was determined not to do just that” (Bessel and Feuchtwanger, 1981, p.15). On the 11th November 1918, Germany surrendered, marking the end of the First World War. They had played a major part in WW1 and when they were defeated this was a huge shock for the country. Those who signed the Armistice were to become known as the ‘November Criminals’. Tension between the November Criminals and the German people grew as the people felt humiliated. This led to Communist uprisings in the major German cities. Yet in 1919 stability returned and Ebert’s government drew up a new constitution in which Germany would be known as the Weimar Republic. Yet to most Germans ' surprise the Weimar Republic failed and Adolf Hitler’s Nazism took over in years to come. For the purpose of this essay I shall discuss how the instability of the economic, political and social systems led to the failure of the Weimar Republic along with Adolf Hitler’s rise to power. It is these “…weaknesses which cause the Republic to crumble within …show more content…
“Historians disagree as to whether it was Hitler’s unique gifts that led to the rise of Nazism or whether it was the failure of the Weimar Republic to establish legitimacy among the German people” (Freeman, 2005, p.17). Like other Germans in 1918 Hitler had to adjust to the new Germany. It was at this point in his life that he realised that he was a great orator and people began to follow him just to hear him speak. There is no doubt that Hitler’s oratory skills appealed to many people and it was said that “Hitler could hypnotise audiences when he made speeches” (Brooman, 1985, p.3). By July 1921 Hitler had become leader of the Nazis and was already preparing to take over